
m 
i 







TO. MUNRO. 



If fo2fl^ii(fewafer, 




India and Her Neighbors. 




ikUTKOR OF "the INDUS AKD ITS PROVtNCKS;" "A MEMOIR ON THE EUPHRATES*,' 

ETC., ETC. 



NEW YORK: 

aEORGE MUNRO, Publisher, 

17 to 27 Vandewater Street. 
1878. 



x^ 



^-^^ 



K 



D 



PEEFAOE. 



All eyes in the East, as in the West, have long expected the struggle 
for supremacy between England and Kussia. That struggle, if for a 
season deferred, still appears to be inevitable. 

Every act in the great drama of war between Russia and Turkey has 
most powerfully affected the nations of Central Asia and agitated our 
northwest frontier in India. While in our peacable and well-ordered 
possessions the call to arms against the Czar has excited the utmost 
enthusiasm. 

The Seikh and the Gourka, the fiercest soldiers in Asia, to whom 
the din of battle is as the breath of their nostrils, vie in aid or with 
the Mussulman, who burns to avenge the wrongs of the Head of his 
faith. Even the Hindu stance, forgetting his caste restraints and pre- 
judices, longs to strike a blow for those whose salt he and his fathers 
have eaten in contentment and peace. 

In Northern India, the Punjab and the border lands beyond, we 
have an inexhaustible field for recruiting men of fine physique, whose 
trade is war, and accustomed to arms from childhood. 

"There never was put forward a greater fallacy or an error more 
likely to be mischievous, than that the Turkish question wasof«?Tio 
importance in an Indian point of view." The grand problem now in 
course of solution in Turkey must affect in its results, whatever they 
may be, in the most immediate and powerful manner, our prestige and 
prosperity in India. Even during the Crimean campaign, the varying 
fortunes of the field elicited either the apprehension or the applause of 
the nations of the East, from the shepherd in his solitude to the war- 
rior chief in his stronghold, while thousands of Moolahs prayed Allah 
to bless the arms of the " Sooltan of Room." 

When the fall of Sebastopol was announced at Dera Ismael Khan, 
on the Upper Indus, the news was received with the greatest enthu- 
siasm by all classes. The bazaars of the city were brilliantly illumi- 
Rated, every wealthy shopkeeper displaying from 1,000 to 1,200 lamps. 



iv PREFACE. 

The native soldiers of India have not only fought the battles of the 
Empire in Persia, China and Abyssinia, but the Sepoy of Bengal and 
Madras crossed bayonets with honor with the French in the Mauritius, 
while their brethren of Bombay were sent under Sir David Baird to 
encounter the same gallant enemy in Egypt, by Lord Wellesley, a 
Governor-General of India, whose eagle-eyed and bold conceptions 
were at the time as much decried and cavilled at by lesser men as now 
we see decried and maligned the manly and good old English policy 
of the present Government in upholding the honor of the country and 
in protecting the rights of nations confirmed by treaties. 

The policy of the Empire at this moment is resisted even by those 
whose experience and knowledge might have taught them that in the 
gravest crisis of our time loyalty to the throne and love of country 
would be best evinced by a noble forbearance, if not a generous sup- 
port, to Her Majesty's servants under such momentous circumstances. 

It is in vain to say India is not threatened, that the Suez Canal is 
safe. The canal — glorious work as it is — can be easily injured, or 
even for a time destroyed. We want an alternative route to India, 
and, after having ignored for years the warnings of our leading states- 
men and soldiers, are we to be told from Vienna that the best alterna- 
tive route is not only threatened, but that if Russia gets possession of 
" Batoum, which, in relation to the Upper Euphrates valley forms the 
first stage from a political, military and commercial point of view 
down to Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf,"* the command of the 
best route to our Indian possessions would be in the hands of our 
rival for empire in the East? 

It is certain, if we decline to connect the Mediterranean with the 
Persian Gulf, Russia will connect the Black Sea with the Persian Gulf. 
The nation desires peace, but the strong man must be armed to hold 
h.i^ goods in peace! 

Is it too much to say that had the Persian Gulf been united with a 
port on the Mediterranean by the Euphrates Railway the Russo-Turk- 
ish war would not have occurred? When peace is restored, it is to be 
hoped that our Government will come to an agreement with the Porte 
as to the Euphrates Railway on the basis recommended by the Select 
Committee of the House of Commons, presided over by Sir Stafford 
Northcote in 1873, and for the Euphrates telegraph, terms for which 
were arranged with Her Majesty's Government in 1857. The Porte, 
however, preferred a line through Asia Minor. 

I cannot refrain from again calling attention to the opinion of the 
Austrian War Minister, who, after the battle of Sadowa, re-organize4 
the army and brought it to its present state of efficiency. 

♦ Viemia correspoudeut of Times, 8th May, 1878. 



PREFACE. . y 

So long ago as 1858 Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Baron Kuhn von 
Kuhnenfeld predicted that Russia would in future probably try to 
satisfy her craving for an open sea-board by operating through Asia. 

" * She will not,' says this distinguished authority, ' reach the shores 
of the Persian Gulf in one stride, or by means of one great war. But 
taking advantage of continental complications, when the attention and 
energy of European States are engaged in contests more nearly con- 
cerning them, she will endeavor to reach the Persian Gulf step b}^ step, 
by annexing separate districts of Armenia.' 

"'Whatever the commercial value of the Suez Canal to Central 
Europe, there is no doubt that it is secondary in importance to the 
Euphrates Railway, which affords the only means of stemming Rus- 
sian advances in Central Asia, and which directly covers the Suez 
Canal.'"* 

At this moment, when great events in Europe are being watched by 
our distant fellow-subjects in India and by the tribes and nations 
which dwell between us; when the first Mahomedan power in the 
world is held in the deadly grasp of the Czar; when England, this 
time not " the unready " is slowly but resolutely putting her native 
legions in motion, and their dusky brothers in India are hurrying to 
arms at the call of their common sovereign; at this moment some 
account of the past and present history of India and Her Neighbors 
may not be deemed inopportune. 

Among the more important considerations presented to the reader of 
this volume, the following appear to merit special remark: 

That England is not only a great Eastern Power, but that she pos- 
sesses more Mahomedan subjects than the Sultan and the Shah together. 

That the standing armies of the feudatory princes of India number 
over 300,000 men with more than 5,000 guns. 

And that it is urgent to have improved and additional means of 
communication between England and India. 

In order further to interest the general reader I have made promi- 
nent as central figures, the heroes and heroines of Indian history, sur- 
rounded by the dramatic incidents of their careers, leaving in shadow 
the minor actors, and passing over altogether, or but brieflj'^ alluding 
to, events of secondary importance; giving in short, a series of word- 
pictures of the more remarkable characters, occurrences, and places. 

I have to thank kind friends for valuable advice and assistance, and 
to Mr. Edwyn Sandys Dawes I am specially indebted for that which 
relates to commerce and finance. 

W. P. A. 

♦ F?<i« Appendix E, * 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

GEl^EEAL PHYSICAL FEATUEES. 

PAOB. 

Boundaries — Extent— Himalaya Range and minor Hills — Val- 
leys — Principal Rivers and Sources — Ports 9 

CHAPTER 11. 

CLIMATE. 
Seasons in Hills and Plains 14 

CHAPTER HI. 

FLORA AKD F A U K A . 
Flora and Fauna 16 

CHAPTER IV. 

MINERALS. 
Precious Stones — Coal — Iron — Mineral Oil — Tin. ... 19 

CHAPTER V. 

THE PEOPLE. 

Population — Government — Races — Languages — Religions — Ma- 
liomedanism — Brahminism — Budism — Parsees — Religion of 
the Seiks. . . - 21 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE PEOPLE — continued. 
Caste — Character of the people— Hindoos — Mahommedans, &c. . 30 



yiii. CONTENTS. 

OHAPTEE VII. 

EAELY HISTOEY OF INDIA. 

Complication of early Indian History — Alexander's Invasion of 
the Punjab, B.C. 327 — First Authentic Information — Com- 
mencement of Continuous History, A.D. 1000 — Rule of Raj- 
poot Princes — First Mahommedau Invasion by Mahmoud of 
Ghuzni— One Hundred and Eighty-Nine Years after his 
Death his Dynasty was exterminated by Mahmoud, of 
Ghor. 34 



CHAPTER VIII. 

EAKLY HISTOEY OF INDIA — continued. 

Hindoo Princes resolve to throw off Mussulman yoke — Mahom- 
ed of Ghor invades India and is defeated — Pithowra King of 
Delhi carries off the daughter of Jye-Chund Ray of Canouje 
— Mahomed Ghor invades India again — Takes Delhi and Ca- 
nouje — Death of their Kings aud final overthrow of Rajpoots 
— Mahomed returns to Ghuzni — Made nine Expeditions to In- 
dia — Was succeeded by the Slave Kings for Eighty- one 
years — Genghis Khan, with his Scythian and Tartar hordes 
— St. Louis and his Crusade — Timour the Lame — Triumphs 
over Bajazet — Returns to Samarcaud laden with spoil — His 
Death 40 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE MOGUL OE TAETAE DYKASTY. 

Baber founder of Mogul dynasty — Baber's Exploits and Char- 
acter — Hoomayoon — Contemporar\' Events and Characters 
— Flodden Field— Knights of St. John aud Solyman — Luther 
— Francis the First and Bayard — Charles V. and Titian — 
Michael An gelo — Torquato Tasso — Henry YIII. — Pope Leo 
— Akbar the Great — His rare Personal Qualities aud En- 
lightened Policy — His reign coin<jides with that of Eliza- 
beth — His death— Memory, how revered — Jehangire — The 
beautiful Noor Mahal — Shah Jehan — Built the Taj Mahal and 
adorned Delhi — Aurungzebe a bad man but a good Sover- 
eign — What he did and how he died — Anarchy — Shah Alam 
I. — Concessions to Mahrattas — Sivajee — Peishwa — Nadir 
Shah — Massacre at Delhi — Retires laden with spoil — Pea- 
cock Throne — Koh-i-noor — Nadir murders his son and is him- 
self assassinated — Shah Alam II. rescued by Lord Lake in 
1803 — The last great Mogul dies a convict in a remote pro- 
vince. , 44 



CONTEl^TS. IX. 

PAGE. 

OHAPTEE X. 

THE DECCAN-. 

Physical Features — Ancient Splendor of Madura and Beejanug- 
ffur — Well-being of the People — First Invasion by Alia the 
Banguinary — Arabs — Kingdoms of the Deccan — Mahom- 
medan Kings of Beejapore, Ahmednuggur, Golconda and 
Baidar league against great Hindoo Kingdom of Beejanug- 
gar — Site of Madras granted to England in 1640 — Mysore— 
Akbar — Beautiful Queen of Gurrah — Aurungzebe — Kise of 
Mahrattas — Sivajee — Sack of Surat — Raja of Satara — Niz- 
am-ul-Mulk founder of Hydrabad Dynasty — The Peishwas — 
Tara Bhye — Hyder AH — First Mysore War — Sir Eyre Coote 
— Second Mysore War — Tippoo Saib — Third Mysore War — 
Fourth Mysore War — Fall of Seringapatam and Death of 
Tippoo — Hindoo Dynaty restored— The last of the Peish- 
was — His odious Administration and Deposition — His adopt- 
ed son the Nana Sahib, of Bithoor. . . . . . 53 

CHAPTER XI. 

THE EEMARKABLE WOMEK OF IJiTDIA. 

Princess of Scinde — Beautiful Sultana Rezia of Delhi — Hindoo 

Queen of Gurrah — A Sultana Regent — Mother of Sivajee. . 65 

CHAPTER XII. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEiq" OF IKDIA. — continued. 

Noormahal, Consort of Shah Jehangire — Arjamund Banu, (of 
the Taj), Consort of Shah Jehan — The Emperor's Daugh- 
ters 73 

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEK OF IISTHK— Continued. 

Ahalya Bhye the Good, Queen of Indore — Tulse Bh3^e the 

Cruel, Regent of Indore. 77 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEK OF IKDIA — continued. 

Begum Sumroo of Sirdhanah — Walter Reinhardt — Chief Officers 
— Colonel le Vaisseau — George Thomas, a common sailor, 
afterwards a Rajah — Begum's Court — Adopted Son, Dyce- 
Sombre — Domestic Chaplain, Father Julius Caesar. . . 80 



X. COl!^TEKTS. 

PAOE. 

CHAPTER XV. 

THE EEMARKABLE WOMEN OF ii;rDiA — continued, 

Lutchmee Bliye, the Rebel Queen of Jhansi — Her wrongs — Her re- 
venge and heroic death 86 

CHAPTER XVI. 

THE EEMAEKABLE WOMEiq^ OF IN^DIA — COncluded, 

Kudsia Begum of Bhopal — Sekunder Begum, her great qualities 

— Begum Shah Jehan, the present Ruler. . . . .88 

CHAPTER XVII. 

ORIGIK AKD PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN INDIA — 
BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 

Rivalry of Portuguese, Dutch, French and English in the East- 
First English ship— First factory, Surat— The transfer of 
the Island of Bombay from Charles II. , the dowry of his 
Queen to the East India Company in 1668 — Gradual spread 
of English rule over the provinces which Sivajee and the 
Peishwas had wrested from the Moguls and minor sover- 
eigns of the Deccan — Mahableshwar — Poona — Oomrawut- 
tee — Goa 93 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN IJ^BlA—COntinued, 
MADRAS PRESIDEjsCY AND BRITISH BURMAH. 

War with the French — Clive — Coote — Dupleix — Labourdon- 
nais — Bussy — Nawab of Carnatic— Madras — Arcot, heroic 
defence of — Vellore, mutiny of — Gillespie and the 19th Drag- 
oons — Ootacamund — Tinnevelley — Pooree — Juggernath — 
Rangoon — Moulmien .98 

CHAPTER XIX. 

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN INDIA — continued, 
BENGAL PRESIDENCY. 

Job Charnock — Prince Azim— Emperor Feroksh ere— Hamilton — 
Mahratta ditch— Aliverdi Khan— Suraj-ud-doula— Fort Will- 
iam—Black Hole — Calcutta— Howrah — Barrackpore — Ser- 
ampore— Plassy, Battle of— Clive— Meer Jaffier— Moorsheda- 
bad — Patna — Benares. 104 



COKTEi?^TS. XI. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTEK XX. 

ORlGilf AND PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN" INDIA — con- 
tinued. 

PRESIDENCY OF BENGAL AND NORTHWEST PROVINCES. 

Mahrattas^Tragical occurrences— Alam'gire II. — Vazir Gazi-iid- 
deen — Shah Alam II. — Battles of Buxar, PatDa and Guya — 
Carnac and Munro — M. Law— Allahabad— Cawnpore — Luck- 
now— Oude — Agra ......* k . Ill 

CHAPTER XXL 

PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN mXiiK-^continued, 

NORTHWEST PROVINCES. 

Bhah Alam II.— Viceroy of Oude— Meer Cossim— Sumroo— Mah- 
rattas— Grolam Kadir — Scindia — Lord Lake— Bahado.ur Shah 
—Delhi and its vicissitudes— The Koh-i-noor and the Peacock 
Throne — Mahdajee Scindia— Daulat Rao Scindia— Holkar— 
Ochterlony — Alarm in the Palace— Mutineers — The King, the 
Captain of the Guard, and the PhysiciaD— Willoughb^ fires 
the Arsenal — Siege — Capture — Englishmen dine in Palace of 
Mogul — Hodson at Hoomayoou's tomb — Surrender of King 
and Princes — Grand Reception to Prince of '^ales — Proclama- 
tion of Empress - . 117 

CHAPTER XXII. 

PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IN INDIA — continued, 

NORTHWEST PROVINCES, PUNJAUB AND SCINDE. 
Paneeput— Meerut — Simla — Umritsur — Lahore— Peshawur — Mool- 
tan — SuUkur, Bukker and Roree — Shi'iarpore— "^^acobabad — 
Dadur — Hyderabad — Kurrachee 124 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

SUMMARY — GOVERNORS-GENERAL. 

FROM PLASSY, 1757, TO PROCLAMATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA 
AS EMPRESS OF INDIA, 1877. 

Olive — Governor of Bengal — Warren Hastings, first Governor- 
General — Lord Cornwallis — Lord Teignmouth — Lord Welles- 
ley — Lord Minto — Lord Hastings — Lord Amherst — Lord 
William Bentinck — Lord Auckland — Lord Ellenborough — 
Lord Hardinge — Lord Dalhousie — Lord Canning, first Vice- 
roy — Lord Elgin — Lord Lawrence — Lord Mayo — Lord North- 
brook — LordLytton. ........ 134 



Xll. COI^TTEIfTS. 



PAOB. 



CHAPTEE XXIV. 

FEUDATORY KATIYE STATES. — RAJPOOTANA. 
Oodeypore — Jeypore — Joudhpore — ^Desert States. . . 147 

CHAPTEE XXV. 

FEUDATOEY NATIVE STATES. — continued. 
JAT AND OTHER MIKOR STATES. 

Alwar — Kishengarhi — Dholpore — Bhurtpore — Tonk— Kotah — Ke- 

raulee — Political Relations. 158 

CHAPTEE XXVI. 

FEUDATORY KATIVE STATES. — continued. 

STATES 02^ THE IKDUS AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 

Khyrpore — Bhawulpore — Cashmere — Punjab Hill States. . . 161 

CHAPTEE XXVII. 

FEUDATORY NATIVE STATES. — continued. 

CIS-SUTLEJ STATES. 

Putiala — Jhend — Nablia — Faredkhot — Maler Kotla — Rampore. . 164 

CHAPTEE XXVIII. 

FEUDATORY NATIVE STATES — CENTRAL INDIA. 

Bhopal — Bundelkhund — Gwalior — Mahrattas — Indore — Dar and 

Dewas 167 

CHAPTEE XXIX. 

FEUDATORY NATIVE STATES — WESTERN INDIA. 

Baroda — Kolapore — Sawant- Wari — Jin jiri — Cutch — Katiawur — 

Pablanpore — Mabi Kanta — Rewa Kanta 173 

CHAPTEE XXX. 

NATIVE STATES — SOUTHERN INDIA. 

Hyderabad — Mysore — Cochin — Travancore — Padukatta — Petty 

Hill Chiefs 177 



COKTEKTS. XlU. 

PAGK. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

FOEEIGK EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS IN INDIA. 
l*ortuguese— Dutch— Danish— French. 186 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

COMMERCE OF INDIA. 

Cotton — Effects of Civil War in America — Cotton Manufacture re- 
vived in a new form in India. 196 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

comm;erce OF india. — continued. 

Rice — Jute — Cereals — Seeds — Tea — Sugar — Opium — Coffee — In- 
digo — Saltpetre — Timber — Tobacco — Agriculture — Primitive 
method of Natives — European Planters. . . . . 201 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

internal communications. 

Roads— Railways— Telegraphs , . , . , , . 3J5 

CHAPTEl! XXXV. 

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS. 

Ancient Routes of Commerce — Shipping — TJie Suez Canal — The 

Euphrates Railway — Harbors. ..... 217 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

FINANCE. 

Revenue — Land Tax — Opium Tax — Salt Tax, Customs, (fee- 
Indian Budget — Lord Northbrook on Famines — Depreciation 
of Silver. 222 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

OUR NEIGHBORS. 
Beloochistan — Afghanistan — Persia — Turkistan — Russia. . . 228 



PA»K. 



24S 



XIV. ,^,^ COlffEKTg. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

OUR NEIGHBORS — couUnued, 
Tibet— Nepaul — Sikkim — Bhutaii — Burman — Siam. . 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

OUR NEIGHBORS — continued, 

MaW Peninsula— Singapore — Java — Sumatra — Borneo — Bpice 

Islands — New Guinea 249 

CHAPTER XL. 

OUR NEIGHBORS — concluded. 

Muscat — Zanzibar — Ceylon. 252 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX A. 

PAGE 
LIFE IN THE JUNGLE . . . 263 



APPENDIX B. 

SCINDIAH, A GENERAL IN THE BRITISH ARMY .... 266 

APPENDIX C. 

EXTRACTS OP TREATIES WITH THE NIZAM OF HYDERABAD . 268 

APPENDIX D. 

DEATH OF PRINCESS KISHNA, THE FLOWER OF RAJAST'HAN, TO 

SAVE HER COUNTRY FROM CIVIL WAR . ' . . . 270 

APPENDIX E. 

EUPHRATES AND INDUS ROUTE TO CENTRAL ASIA . . . 273 



GENERAL INDEX TO CONTENTS. 



* PAGE 

British Rule in India — Origin and Progress , . . . 92 — 146 

** " Bengal Presidency .... 104—110 

Bombay . * . . . . . 92— 97 

" " Madras 98—103 

N.W. Provinces • . . . . 111—146 

" " KW. Provinces, Punjab and Scinde 124—146 

Climate and Seasons of India . . . . . . 9— 13 

Commerce of India 196 — 212 

Communications, External . 217—221 

Internal . . . . . . . 212—216 

Deccan, The . ■ " 53—64 

Early History of India 34 — 43 

Euphrates and Indus Route . . . . . . . 273—282 

European Settlements (Foreign) in India .... 186 — 195 

Fauna and Flora of India 16 — 18 

Feudatory Kative States of India . » . , . . . i 47— 185 

Central .... 167—171 

Cis-Sutlej . . . 164—166 

" * " Indus and Tributaries . 158—163 



Feudatory Native States of Jats and Minor States 

" Rajpootana 

" Southern . 

" Western . . . 

Finance of India ....... 

Governors- General of India from Plassey, 1757, to the Proc- 
lamation of the Queen as Empress of India, 1877 

Jungle, Life in the 

Minerals of India 

Mogul or Tartar Dynasty of India . . 

Our Neighbors 

People of India 

Physical Features of India 

Scindiah 

Treaties between the Queen of Great Britain and the Nizam 

of Hyderabad . . . . 
Women of India, Remarkable ...... 



PAGE 

158—160 
147—157 

177—185 
172—176 

222—227 

134—146 

263—265 
19— 20 
44 - 52 

228—258 

21— 33 

9— 13 

266—267 

268—269 
65— 91 



India and Her IN'eighbors. 



India and Her IN'eighbors. 



CHAPTEE I. 

GEKEEAL PHYSICAL FEATURES. 

Boundaries — Extent— Himalaya Range and minor Hills — Valleys — 
Principal Rivers and Sources — Ports. 

Boundaries. — India includes not only the great peninsula 
stretching southward, like a vast triangle, from the Hima- 
layas to Cape Comorin, but also a long strip of seaboard on 
the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, from Ohittagong to 
the tenth parallel of northern latitude. The base of this 
pyramid is formed by the long mountain ranges of the Hima- 
layas — the ^^ Abode of Snow," answering to the Imaus of 
Greek geographers— which divide all upper India from Turkis- 
tan and Tibet, bearing away southeastwards from Cashmere 
to the eastern corner of Assam. The natural barrier thus 
formed between India and the outer world is carried on south- 
wards by the hills which separate the Punjab and Scindefrom 
Afghanistan and Beluchistan. From Assam, at the eastern 
end, a like hill-barrier marks off British territory from Bur- 
mah and Siam. The whole length of India's land-boundary 
is nearly 4,500 miles; the seaboard from Kurrachee,-on the 
west, to the southernmost point of Tenasserim, on the east, 
being about 4,000 miles. 

Extent. — Some idea of the size of our Indian Empire may 
be gathered from the fact that Peshawur and Cape Comorin 
are more than 1,800 miles apart, while the distance from Kur- 
rachee to Rangoon is nearly 1,900 miles, or nearly thrice the 



10 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 

distance of the Land's End from John o' Groat's. Eyen in 
Southern India, it is 900 miles across from Bombay to Point 
Palmyras on the Orissa coast. India^ in short, covers an area 
of more than 1,500,000 square miles, or as much ground as 
all Europe, without Eussia.* Of this area, three-fifths, or 
more than 900,000 square miles, are ruled directly by us; the 
remainder, consisting chiefly of Native States, owning in differ- 
ent degrees a certain vassalage to the Paramount Power, which 
has supplanted alike the Mahratta and the Mogul. The 
French and Portuguese still retain the rights of sovereignty 
over limited territories. 

GeneraC Physical Features, —The vast and sparsely- wooded 
plains watered by the Ganges and the Jumna, and stretching 
for many hundred miles from Umballa to Rajmahal, show 
broad tracts of level, well- cultivated ground, interspersed 
with sandy waste. In Bengal a vast alluvial plain yields an 
increase eisewhere unknown. In parts of the Punjab and 
Rajpootana, in Central India, and Guzerat, the surface of 
the ground is broken into frequent hills and valleys, more or 
less wooded. In Southern India and the Central Provinces 
there are no plains of any magnitude, if we except the strip 
of coast overlooked by the Eastern and Western Ghauts. In- 
deed, nearly the whole of Southern India, or the Deccan, is 
a rugged table-land, girdled with a chain of hills varying in 
height from 1,500 to 7,000 feet. 

Hills. — Hindustan, or the land of the Hindoos, is, strictly 
speaking, the country between the Himalayas and the Vind- 
hya Hills, with the Indus for its western and the Ganges for 
its eastern boundary; the southern half of India being more 
correctly styled the Deccan, or Southern Land. The great 
mountain mass of the Himalayas, some 1,500 miles long by 
150 broad, is at once the largest and loftiest in the world. 
Its snowy peaks tower with solemn majesty from twenty to 
twenty-nine thousand feet above the sea, while the passes 
across it are often 17,000 feet high, only a thousand feet below 
the line of perpetual snow — 2,000 feet above the summit of 
Mont Blanc. The glaciers in these mountains far surpass in 
extent those of the, Alps. For rugged grandeur nothing can 
approach the higher ranges, while the lower and outer, on 
which stand Simla, Kasaulee, Mussoorie, Nainee-Tal with 
its beautiful lake, Almora, and Darjeeling, at heights varying 

* From this reckoning the Tsland of Ceylon is, cf course, omitted, as forming 
politically no part of India in the present day. 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 11 

from 6,000 to 8,000 feet, have the softer beauty of steep hill- 
sides clothed with oak and fir, and noble rhododendrons. 
From some of these hill stations, you may look over a billow- 
ing sea of hills to the great Snowy Eange some fifty or sixty 
miles away, yet in certain seasons seeming quite close at hand. 
In these mountains, with the exception of Kangra, and the 
Dhoon, there are f<^w valleys of any great extent, the hills 
usually rising steeph up from hollows many hundred feet, and 
the villages climbing with difficulty up the slopes. From the 
plains to Simla and other hill stations there are good roads, 
but in the interior of these regions the road is usually but a 
few feet wide, with a rocky wall on one side, and a precipice 
going sheer down from the other. Here and there, through 
a deep narrow gorge or yawning chasm, winds a swift stream, 
only to be crossed by a hanging bridge of rope, swaying with 
every movement, or the trunk of a mighty pme. One charm 
of mountain scenery is wanting here. Except m the rainy 
season, when every dry watercourse becomes a torrent, there 
is a general absence of water, especially in the form of lakes. 
" The advantages of the :N"eilgherry Hills have yet to be fully 
utilized for European settlements. The chmate, configura- 
tion, soil and water supply of these hills are all favorable; and 
the range is easily accessible. In establishing new stations 
there, however, or in enlarging existing stations, it will be 
well to keep in mind the mistakes of plan and the neglect o^ 
sanitary precautions which hav6 brought so many hill stations 
into disrepute, and which some years ago, m hke manner, 
affected the reputation of Ootacamund as a place of resi- 

Valleys.— The Kangra and smaller valleys of the Himalayas 
are of great fertility. In them we see the astonishing spec- 
tacle of the productions of the temperate and torrid zones 
growing side by side, the creeping rose intertwining its 
branches with the bamboo, and the wild violet and tulip flow- 
ering round the roots of the plantain. Further m the inte- 
rior there are inexhaustible forests of pine growing ma rich 
vegetable loam, on which all the fruits and vegetables ot 
Europe will thrive in perfection. In Kanawur, the vine un- 
pruned, uncultivated, growing like a bramble in the hedges, 
yields a grape unequalled in the world. Water power, as we 
have seen, is not wanting at certain seasons. The wool trade 
might be increased to any extent, 4t the confl^uence of cer- 

* Indian public opinion. 



12 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

tain streams ^old dust is found. The Kulu yalley, in the 
Kangra district of the Punjab, is very rich in minerals, one 
of the most valuable of which is galena or lead ore, often con- 
taining large percentages of silver. Still more valuable than 
gold or silver— iron exists in the hills in extraordinary abund- 
ance, though coal is wanting. Following the lead of the 
Government, European enterprise has already made great pro- 
gress in the cultivation of the tea plant in the hilly regions of 
India. 

Rivers. — From the heart of these mountains spring the 
great rivers of Northern India, the Indus, the Sutlej, the 
Jumna, the Ganges, and the Brahmapootra, which, after 
gladdening and fertilizing the plains below, find their way by 
many mouths to the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The 
longest of these rivers is the Indus, which, after receiving the 
other rivers of the Punjab, reaches the Arabian sea some 
1,800 miles from its source. The Ganges, with a total length 
of 1,500 miles, having its turbid volume swollen at Allahabad 
by the blue waters of the Jumna, debouches in the Bay of 
Bengal. At one time the country through which these rivers 
now flow was the sandy bed of a broad sea rolling between the 
Himalayas and the Vindhya Range. In those days, many 
parts of the Deccan must have been under water. Some 
curious fossils have been found in the Sewalik Hills, a low 
range outlying the Himalayas. 

The Suliman Hills, which form the western boundary of 
the Punjab, overlook the course of the Indus for some 350 
miles, from a height almost of 11,000 feet. Much lower than 
these, but with a savage grandeur of their own, are the 
Aravulli Hills, from whose southern spurs the Vindhyas 
stretch away across the peninsula, at a height seldom exceed- 
ing 2,000 feet. Their northern ridges slope down to the 
table -land of Malwa. Between them and the bolder line of 
the Satpoora Hills, flows the Nerbudda along its rocky bed 
through 800 miles of winding cliffs and dark forest, down to 
its outlet in the Gulf of Cambay. Into the same gulf below 
Surat falls the Taptee. 

From the western end of the Satpooras a long chain of hills 
passes near the seaboard down to Cape Comorin, their height 
varying from 1,000 to 4,700 feet at Mahabuleshwar, the sum- 
mer retreat of the Bombay Government, to 7,000 near Coorg. 
At this point the Western Ghauts, or " Stairs," meet the 
loftier Neilgherry or Blue Mountains, and these again stretch- 



INDIA Al^D HER KEIGHBORS. 13 

ing eastward, join the Eastern Ghauts, a lower range, which 
runs up the Madras Coast northward to melt into the high- 
lands of Orissa. The country enclosed by these ranges forms 
a broad and rolling table-land, watered by many rivers, and 
broken towards the south into craggy hills. Of these rivers 
the chief is the Godavery, which, rising in the Western 
Ghauts near Nassick, bends south-eastward to cross the 
Nizam's dominions, and, receiving the drainage of the Sat- 
pooras, cleaves its way, after a course of 900 miles, through 
the Eastern Ghauts into the Bay of Bengal, near Kokonada. 
Next in length comes the Kistna, which also rises in the 
Western Ghauts, and, after a devious course, reaches the 
Coromandel Coast, near Masulipatam. In the northeastern 
corner of the Bay of Bengal, lies the Delta of the Brahma- 
pootra, one of the greatest of Indian rivers, which, under the 
name of the Sanpoo, flows for many hundred miles along 
Tibet, until, turning the eastern corner of the Himalayas, it 
rolls westward through the broad Assam valley, past Goal- 
para, into Lower Bengal. Another large river, the Ira- 
waddy, descends from its Himalayan cradle through Upper 
Burniah southward into Pegu, and, after a course of nearly 
1,100 miles, reaches the sea by several mouths between Cape 
Negrais and Rangoon. 

Ports. — For all its length of coast- line, India possesses but 
few good harbors. That of Bombay, however, is one of the 
noblest in the world. Kurrachee, the European port of India, 
is destined to be to the Indus and its tributaries what Cal- 
cutta is to the Ganges and its tributaries. Moulmein and 
Rangoon carry on a thriving trade, and, in spite of some 
dangerous shoals in the Hoogly, the port of Calcutta is the 
seat of a sea borne trade worth more than £50,000,000 sterhng. 
Goa, a good harbor on the western coast, belongs to Portugal. 
Carwar, Cochin, and Viziadroog might be made more useful 
at no great cost, and the harbor now making at Madras on the 
skilful plan of Mr. William Parkes, consulting engineer to the 
Secretary of State for India, will turn an opeik roadstead into 
a welcome and sheltered haven. 



14 INDIA A]^D HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER IL 

CLIMATE. 
Seasons in Hills and Plains. 

Climate, — India in its hills and plains may be said to 
possess every variety of climate and temperature. 

The seasons are three; the hot, the rainy and the cold sea- 
sons. These vary much in different localities, hut as a rule 
the hot season generally may he said to prevail from the mid- 
dle of March to the middle of June. 

In the plains of India, during the hot weather, the moist 
heat of Bengal and the dry heat of the hot winds of North- 
western India and the Punjab, rising to 120° in the shade, 
differ from each other much as a vapor bath does from the 
mild blast of a furnace. 

Along the coast line the sea breezes are very refreshing, 
and serve to temper the heat. At Simla and other hill sta- 
tions the summer is delightful. 

About the middle of June the rains commence, and con- 
tinue with little intermission till the end of September. The 
rainfall varies greatly. In the Northwest Provinces and 
Guzerat it ranges from fifteen to thirty inches, most of it fall- 
ing in three months. In the Khasia Hills 600 inches of rain 
have been measured in the year. This is also the season of 
inundation from the melting of the, snow in the mountains, 
causing the rivers to overflow their banks. 

November, December, and January constitute the winter 
months, or cold season, which is preceded and followed by 
short periods of moderate heat. During the winter months 
in the N. W. Provinces and the Punjab there is invigorating 
cold weather, when water is frozen in the shallow pools during 
the night and there is hoar-frost m the morning, the comfort- 
able warmth and glow of a fire reminding the Enghsh 
sojourner of home. Even in Lower Bengal and Southern 
India, the temperature is moderate, and life something more 



INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOKS. 16 

than enjoyable from the buoyancy of the air under a cloudless 
sky. 

At the hill stations, such as Simla and Mussoorie, the cold 
is intense during this period, and the fall of snow prolonged. 

So recent is our acquaintance with those portions of our 
widely-extended dominions, best adapted for the residence of 
Europeans, that at the neighboring stations of Bareilly, 
Moradabad, and Shajuhanpore, the existence of the beautiful 
lake at Nainee-Tal was as much a mystery, thirty years ago, 
as the sources of the Niger. 

The Himalayan and Inter-Himalayan regions are wonder- 
fully adapted for the European constitution. They are as 
salubrious, and generally cooler than a great portion of Aus- 
tralia. Europeans can, if they choose, work in the open air, 
in proof of which it is stated that the strongest-built house at 
one of the hill stations was constructed entirely by European 
soldiers, without any natiye aid whateyer. 

The offspring of pure European parents brought up in the 
hills does not degenerate. East Indians or Eurasians rather 
improve than otherwise in those eleva+«^"" ^^^ions. 

This being so, one would ask why inmtary settlements 
haye not been made in the Hiiw>iayas of time-expired or 
pensioned European soldiers, whoa"^ sons could succeed their 
fathers in the ranks. A small i ony of Europeans in the 
hills, with railways in the plains, would haye been a sheet an- 
chor during the mutiny and might haye prevented it.* 

Now that railways are being extended in all directions, it 
is to be hoped that fitting stations may be found in the hills, 
for the majority of the European troops in India. This 
would promote health and eflBciency, saying many valuable 
lives and much expenditure. 

^ Vide Colonization in India and Australia, compared by the Author. 



16 INDIA AIiq^D HER KEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTER HI. 

FLORA AND FAUNA. 

Flora. — The broad belt of marshy jungle deadly to human 
life which divides the Himalayas from the adjacent plains, 
affords, in wood and some other materials, the means, to a 
limited extent, of smelting the abundant iron ore found on 
the lower slopes. Many parts of India are rich in forest trees 
suited to almost every purpose of use or ornament. The 
teak tree abounds in British Burmah, the Godavery valley, 
and Malabar; the bamboo in Kamaun, Bengal, and Southern 
India. Pines and deodars luxuriate in the Himalayas; saul, 
ebony, and satin-wood in Central India; the sandal, iron, 
and blackwood in Ooorg and Mysore; oak and walnut-wood 
in Sikkim; the India-rubber tree in Assam; and the palm- 
trees of the tropics in Bengal. 

The noble mango-groves of Hindustan give welcome shade 
to the traveler weary with marching over miles of sunburnt 
plain, and the banyan-tree of Bengal grows into a forest by 
throwing out new roots from its spreading branches. Cot- 
tages are thatched with palm -leaves, and houses built 
with the help of scaffolding made of bamboo. Cocoa- 
nut fibre makes excellent rigging, and cocoanut oil is 
highly prized for lamps. Bamboo fibre serves for mats and 
baskets; a bamboo stem makes the best of lance-shafts, while 
one of its joints will do duty for a bottle. From the sap of 
the palm-tree is brewed the taree or toddy, a favorite drink 
among the lower classes. Another kind of palm yields the 
betel nut, which natives of every class and both sexes delight 
to chew. The saul and deodar are largely used for railway 
sleepers, and in districts where coal is dear, forest timber 
serves as fuel for steamers and railway trains. 

All over Indiia there are two harvests yearly; in some 
places three. Bajra,* jowar,f rice, and some other grains are 

* Holcus Spicatus. A small round grain, very nourishing, 
t Holcus Sorgum. Comrnon in Levant, Greece and Italy, 



INDIA AHD HER KEIGHBORS. 17 

sown at the beginning and reaped at the end of the rainy sea- 
son. The cold weather crops, such as wheat, barley, some 
other kinds of grain, and various pulses, are reaped in the 
spring. It is a mistake to suppose that the people of India 
live entirely on rice. Rice is grown mainly in some parts of 
Lower Bengal, in British Burmah, the Concan, and Malabar. 
In Hindustan and the Punjab the staple food is wheat and 
millet; in the Deccan a poor kind of grain called ragee.* 
Berar, Khandesh, and Guzerat yield large crops of cotton, 
while the sugar-cane abounds in Rohilcund and Madras. 
The poppy-fields of Malwa and Bengal yield the opium which 
forms a main source of Indian revenue. Indigo and jute are 
raised in Bengal. Coffee has become the staple product of 
the hill districts in Ooorg, Wainad, and the Neilgherries. 
The tea-gardens of Assam, Cachar, Sylhet, and the southern 
slopes of the Himalayas from Kangra to Darjeeling furnish 
ever-increasing supplies of good tea. The quinine-yielding 
chinchona is grown in forests yearly increasing on the Neil- 
gherry and Darjeeling Hills. Another medicinal plant of 
great value, the ipecacuanha, seems to thrive in the Sik- 
kim Terai. Cardamoms and popper abound along the West- 
ern Ghauts, hemp and linseed are largely exported, and to- 
bacco is widely grown throughout India. 

Of fruit and vegetables there are many kinds. Mangoes, 
melons, pumpkins, guavas, custard-apples, plantains, oranges, 
limes, citrons, and pomegranates, abound everywhere; figs, 
dates, peaches, strawberries, and grapes thrive well in many 
places; apricots, apples, and black currants grow wild in the 
hills, as the pine-apple does in British Burmah. Cucumbers, 
yams, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and many vegetables grown 
in England, are raised abundantly for general use. "Flow- 
ers of every shape and hue, and often of the richest scent, 
from the rose and jasmine to the oleander and the water- 
lily, spangle the plains, cover the surfaces of lakes and ponds, 
or glimmer in climbing beauty among the woods. The rho- 
dodendrons of the Himalayas grow like forest trees, and crown 
the hill-side in April and May with far-spreading masses of 
crimson blossoms. From the rose-gardens of Ghazipur is 
extracted the attar, a few drops of which contain the gath- 
ered fragrance of a thousand flowers, f" 

Fauna. — The jungles are alive with elephants, bears, wild 

* Cynosurus coroianus. 

t Trotter's " History of Incjia." Introduction. 



18 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

buffaloes, tigers, leopards, panthers, and hyaenas. Wolves 
and jackals prowl among the ravines in quest of deer and 
other prey. The lion, inferior in size and courage to his 
African brother, is chiefly to be found in the wilds of Eaj- 
pootana and Guzerat; the camel in the sandy regions of the 
northwest; the one-horned rhinoceros among the swamps of 
the Ganges. Deer of many kinds abound everywhere. Snakes, 
poisonous and harmless, haunt the jungles and glide among 
the ruins of old cities. Wild boars are common in Bengal 
and Western India. Monkeys abound in most parts of the 
country. The rivers swarm with fish, and alligators bask like 
huge lizards along their banks. Horses and ponies of divers 
breeds are used chiefly for riding, while the fields are 
ploughed and the carts and carriages of the country are 
drawn by bullocks of the Brahmini or humped species. In 
many parts of India oxen still serve as carriers of merchan- 
dise. Buffaloes are generally kept for milk and ploughing. 
Sheep and goats are very common, and the goat of Thibet 
supplies the soft paslimina of which Indian shawls and othor 
articles of clothing are made. 

The woods re-echo with the harsh cry of the peacock and 
the lively chattering of parrots, woodpeckers, and other birds 
of gay plumage; to say nothing of those which are common 
to India and the West. Eagles and falcons are found in some 
places; kites, vultures, and crows may be seen everywhere. 
The great adjutant stork of Bengal with much gravity does 
scavenger's duty in the most populous cities. Pheasants, 
partridges, ortolans, quail, snipe, wild-geese and ducks in 
great variety and abundance tempt the sportsman. The 
sparrow has followed the Englishman into the Himalayas. 
It is worth remarking, however, that song-birds are almost as 
rare in India as snakes in Ireland, f 

t Vide Appendix h. " liife in the Jungle;" or, " The Sportsman's Paradise," 



IKDIA AKD HER KEIGHB0T18. 19 



CHAPTEIi IV. 

MINERALS. 
Precious Stones— Coal— Iron— Mineral Oil— Tin. 

Precious Stones. — Of mineral wealth India possesses her 
fair share. It is true her once renowned wealth in diamonds 
and other gems has disappeared, and the famous mines of 
Golconda have ceased to yield their former treasures; but 
opals, amethysts and garnets, jasper and carnelians are still 
found in various places, and gold is washed in small quantities 
from her streams. More useful minerals are now, however, 
the most diligently sought for. 

Coal. — India possesses extensive coal fields, and of late 
years, and notably during the scarcity of- this fuel in England 
in 1871 and 1875, much capital has been invested in opening 
up collieries. At Eaneegunge, near Calcutta, several mines 
have been worked for the past twenty years with more or less 
success, and on the East Indian and Great Indian Peninsular 
Kailways native coal is chiefly used. The low prices, how- 
ever, at which English and "Australian coal is now being 
delivered at the seaports of India operates against the devel- 
opment of this branch of native industry. 

Iron. — Iron is also known to exist in many parts, but more 
particularly in the sub-Himalayan districts of Kemaon and 
Gurwal and in the Madras Presidency. It is very pure and 
abundant, but the absence of coal in the immediate vicinity 
of the ironstone prevents it being worked. Sooner or later, 
probably, arrangements will be made to convey the iron ore 
to the Bengal coal fields, and coal from Bengal to the iron- 
producing districts; and a trade will spring up similar to that 
now so extensively and profitably conducted between ports on 
the Spanish coast and our own great iron towns on the east 
coast of England, or in the progress of chemical science ere 
long means may be found for extracting the metal from the 



20 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOBS. 

ore by some more economical process than the present costly 
system of smelting, with its excessive consumption of fuel. 

Mineral Oils. — In Burmah there is a considerable and 
growing production of mineral oils. 

Ti7i. — In the Malay peninsula the rich mines of tin are be- 
ginning to be worked; but both of these industries are yet 
capable of great extension. 



li^DIA Ai^D HEK NEIGHBOKS. 21 



CHAPTER V. 

THE PEOPLE. 

Population— Government— Races— Languages— Religions— Maliomed- 
anism — Brahminism — Budism — Parsees — Religion of the Seiks. 

Population. — According to the latest census returns, British 
India, as apart from the purely Native States, is now peopled 
by 190,000,000 souls; a number largely in excess of all former 
estimates. Add to this the 50,000,000 roughly reckoned for 
the Native States, and a quarter of a million for French pos- 
sessions, and half a million for those of Portugal, and we get 
a total of 240 3-4 millions for all India. Of this vast num- 
ber, the Province of Bengal was found to contain 64 3-4 mill- 
ions within its area of 212,451 square miles, or an average of 
305 to the square mile. But now that the thinly-peopled 
tracts of Assam and Kachar have been formed into a sepa- 
rate province, Bengal may be said to yield an average popula- 
tion of 380 to the square mile, or a total of 60 1-2 millions. 
Without Orissa the average would be 430, and in some dis- 
tricts or shires, such as Burdwan or Patna, exceeding 550 to 
the square mile. 

In the Northwestern Provinces — the "Doab," or ^'country 
of two rivers," to wit, the Jumna and the Ganges — there are 
30 3-4 millions of people over an area of 81,000 square miles. 
This means an average of 380 souls to the square mile in a 
province nearly as large as England, Wales, and Ireland 
together, and little less populous than England herself. The 
grain- producing country of Oude, lying between the Ganges 
and the Nepaulese Hills, covers an area of 24,000 square 
miles, equal to Holland and Belgium, with 11 1-4 million 
souls, or an average of 469 to the square mile. In the Pun- 
Jab, exclusive of Cashmere and other tributary States, there 
are nearly 18,000,000 of people, or 171 to the square mile. In 
British Burmah, about 2 3-4 millions, or only thirty-one to the 
square mile, are scattered over an area larger than the North- 



22 INDIA AKI) HER NEIGHBORS. 

western Provinces. Madras contains about 30 1-4 million 
people, in an area of 124,500 square miles, or 243 to the 
square mile, which is a good deal larger than the British 
Islands. Bombay and Scinde, with an area little less than 
that of Madras, number only 16 1-3 million souls, or 131 to 
the square mile. The Central Provinces, though nearly as large 
as the Northwestern, appear to have only 8 1-5 million, or an 
average of ninety-six to the square mile. This is about half 
the average of Mysore, and but little higher than that of the 
small hill-province of Ooorg. In Ajmeer, the English portion 
of Eajpootana, the average is recKoned at 115, and in Berar 
at 126 to the square mile.* 

Government. — All these provinces, except Mysore, now'neld 
by us in trust for its future sovereign, the descendant of the 
old Hindoo dynasty displaced by Hyder All, and Berar, still 
nominally governed for the Nizam of Hyderabad, make up 
the empire directly ruled by the British crown. Subject to 
the general control of the Home Government, the Viceroy 
and Governor-General in Council may be said to govern as 
well as reign over the widely extended Empire of British 
India. 

The Presidencies of Bombay and Madras are ruled by 
Governors appointed from England, with Legislative and 
Executive Councils. Bengal is presided over by a Lieuten- 
ant-Governor, aided by a Legislative Council. The North- 
western Provinces and the Punjab have each a Lieutenant- 
■ Governor without a council. The latter is still a " Non- 
Eegulation Province," so far as its government is not 
conducted by civil officers alone, and according to the old 
regulations of the Company. To the same class belong 
Oude,f the Central Provinces. Assam, Berar, and British 
Burmah, which are governed each by a Chief Commissioner, 
with a staff of officers, civil and military, who dispense jus- 
tice, look after the revenue, and preserve the peace in dis- 
tricts larger than a good-sized English county. 

Races. — The people of India may be classified in three 
ways, according to race, language, or religion. Eirst in 
order come the aboriginal races, now scattered among the 
hills and jungles throughout the country to .the number of 
about twelve millions. Under the name of Santhals, Bheels, 

* Statistical Abstract of British India from 1865 to 1875; presented to Parlia- 
ment. 

t Now merged in the N. W. Provinces. 

•' ^ 



, INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 23 

Coles, Mairs, Gonds, &c., tliey all seem to belong to the same 
Papuan or Australoid type; short of stature, dark-skinned, 
with high cheek bones, flattish noses, large jaws, wide 
mouths, yerv little beards, and long coarse hair. They eat 
all kinds of food, drink fermented liquors, ignore clothes, 
worship their own gods, speak a language and follow cus- 
toms unlike those of their more civilized neighbors. Their 
weapons are bows, arrows, and spears, useful alike in hunting 
and in war. In parts of Southern India, as in Australia, the 
boomerang is also used. 

Of a kindred, but seemingly higher type, are the Dravidian 
races of Southern India, who number about thirty millions; 
whose languages, the Tamil, Telugu, and Canarese, have a 
literature more than a thousand years old, and whose early 
civilization dates back some way beyond the Christian era. 
To the old Dravidian settlers, whencesoever they came, may 
perhaps be ascribed the dolmans, cromlechs, cairns, flint 
tools, iron spear-heads, and other relics of a remote past, 
similar to those which have been found in various parts of 
Europe. In the hills that border Assam, Bengal, and Upper 
India, we meet with races of Indo-Chinese or Mongolic stock, 
akin to those which inhabit Burmah, Thibet, and Siam. 
They all speak dialects of the same language, and show their 
common origin in their short but sturdy frames, small eyes, 
high cheek bones, scanty beards, thin lips, flattened noses, 
and yellowish or copper-colored skins. 

By far the most numerous of Indian peoples are the Hin- 
doos themselves, whose language and physical traits alike pro- 
claim them sprling from the same Aryan stem as the Persians, 
the ancient Greeks, the Celts, and nearly all the nations of 
modern Europe. Their Sanskrit-speaking forefathers seem 
to have gradually made their way from the regions of the 
Hindoo Koosh, across the Indus, into the plains of the Pun- 
jab and Sirhind, or the country between the Sutlej and the 
Ganges. Their first settlements were probably made aboufc 
1500 B.C., if not before. Their earliest literature, the Yedic 
hymns, written in a language far older than the Greek of 
Homer, stamps them as already a cultivated and progressive 
race, of high religious instincts, varied mental power, and 
much capacity for social and political growth. Their oldest 
epic, the Eamayan, older than the Iliad, or even the Penta- 
teuch, teems with pictures of every domestic virtue, with pas- 
sages of pure moral beauty and keen poetic insight, with. 



24 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

tokens of far reaching philosophy, lofty religious yearnings, 
and refined enjoyment of all good things in Art and Nature. 
In many of the arts and sciences these old Hindoos were in 
advance of nearly all the more civilized nations, Aryan, 
Semitic, or Turanian, of their day. They had learned to till 
the ground, to trade, to build tanks and temples, to vi^eave 
muslin, to produce cunning work-in iron, gold, silver, earth- 
enware, ivory and precious stones, ages before Eome was 
founded or Hezekiah reigned in Judaea. In their village 
communities and caste-rules of the present day, we have still 
at work the principles of a system of law and self-govern- 
ment which appears, from the famous Code of Menu, to have 
been firmly established many centuries before the Christian 
era. For breadth and subtlety their old philosophers have 
never been surjjassed by the boldest thinkers of any age or 
country. In short, the Aryan forefathers of the modern 
Hindoo were a race whom the most civilized nations in mod- 
ern Europe might be proud to claim as kin. 

As the early Aryan settlers gained the mastery in Hindus- 
tan, they drove before them most of the older races into the 
hills and forests, much as the Saxons served the Britons, 
while the remainder, held in a kind of serfage, made up the 
lowest of the four castes or classes into which the new social 
system of their conquerers was divided. Great Hindoo king- 
doms, which lasted for many centuries, covered the country 
north of the Nerbudda. In due time Bengal itself was peo- 
pled by an Aryan race, and finally the whole of Southern 
India passed under the sway of Hindoo princes, though there 
the process of absorbing or exterminating the subject races 
was never carried so far as in the north. Among the later 
Aryan settlers in India were the Yavans, probably Ionian 
Greeks, who founded a dynasty in Orissa, and the followers 
of Alexander have left their mark in the Punjab. Of Hin- 
doos by race, the actual number for all India may now be 
reckoned at 150,000,000, who differ from each other in as 
many ways as an Englishman differs from a Frenchman, a 
Spaniard, or a Greek. But all alike, from the fair-skinned 
fiery Rajpoot and the broad-shouldered Seik of the north, to 
the lithe little Mahratta in the west, and the dark-skinned, 
peace-loving trader or peasant of Bengal, are remarkable, as 
a rule, for handsome faces, delicate features, slenderly grace- 
ful figures, and well-shaped limbs. 

Of kindred race to the Hindoos are the Parsees. In the 



IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 25 

eiglitli century, not long after the Arab conquest of Persia, and 
the establishment of Islam in the room of the old national 
sun-worship, the Parsees, a small remnant of the unconverted 
race, were driven, by steady persecution, from their retreats 
in Khorasan to the isle of Ormuz, in the Persian Gulf. Their 
ill-fortune still following them, they took shelter, first at Diu, 
in the Gulf of Oambay, and some years later in Guzerat. 

Here, under certain conditions, they were allowed to dwell, 
to erect their towers of silence for the departed, and to build 
the temples which held the sacred flame, kept ever burning 
in honor of their god — the pure and bright Ormuzd. From 
Guzerat they gradually made their way over Western India, 
until at last a new Parsee settlement sprang up in Bombay 
itself, where the Parsees have since taken the lead in every 
field of commercial enterprise and social progress. 

The Patans, or Afghans, on the other hand, who inhabit 
the Punjab frontier, parts of Eohilkund, and much of 
Hyderabad, belong to that Semitic race which furnished 
Mahomet with his first converts, and India with her earliest 
Mahommedan rulers. Far more numerous are the Moguls, a 
Turkish race, whose forefathers followed the genial, daring 
and chivalrous Baber into Hindustan. They number more 
than thirty millions in all, peopling mainly the Punjab, the 
country around Delhi, and Bengal. ' 

Languages. — The languages or dialects spoken in different 
provinces, exceed in number those of all Europe. Of those 
derived from Sanskrit there are at least a dozen, of which 
Hindi, the language of E"orthwestern and Central India, is 
the most purely Aryan, and Urdu, the language of the offi- 
cial-classes, is the most largely mixed with foreign elements, 
Persian, Arabic, and even English. Each great province, 
sometimes each district, has its own dialect, differing from 
the others much as English differs from German, or as both 
differ from Italian or French. In Southern India the Dra- 
vidian languages, such as Tamil and Telugu, have the widest 
prevalence, except in Maharashtra, the country of the ]\J[ah- 
rattas, who speak a dialect resembling Hindi. Assam and 
l^epaul are Aryan by language, while Bootan, British Bur- 
mah, and Manikpoor belong in language as well as race to the 
Turanian family. 

Religions. — Classified according to their religious creeds, 
the people of India might be broadly divided into Mahomme- 
dans and Hindoos. In Bengal alone the followers of the Ar^b 



26 INDIA AKD HEE IfEIGHBORS. 

Prophet exceed twenty millions. Of the remaining twenty-one 
millions, more than thirteen and a half are to be found in the 
Punjab and N. W. Provinces, and one-quarter million in 
the Central Provinces. In Hyderabad, also, and Cashmere, 
the Mahommedans muster strong. If language is not 
always a sure clue to race, neither is religion. While the 
Patans and Moguls of India speak a language mainly of Aryan 
birth, millions of Mussulmans in Bengal, and nearly all the 
Mussulmans in Cashmere, are Hindoos by race, whose fore- 
fathers adopted the creed of their Moslem conquerors. The 
Hindoos in their turn have made a large number of converts 
in the lowest caste from the people whom they originally sub- 
dued. Most of the Indian Mahommedans profess the Sunee 
or Turkish form of Islam, but the Shea sect, who, like the 
Persians, pay special homage to Ali, the prophet's son-in-law, 
and to All's two sons, Hassein and Hossan, as his lawful suc- 
cessors in the Calif ate, are to be found chiefly in Cashmere 
and the Deccan. The differences between them correspond 
to those between different sects of Christians. In spite of 
quarrels on minor points, they agree in revering the Koran as 
the word of Grod delivered through his prophet, Mahomet, 
the great fountain of moral, social, and civil law for all true 
believers. 

A third form of Islam is the Wahabee, which has lately 
made some way among the Mahommedans of Behar. These 
Puritans of their faith are followers of Abdul Wahab, whose 
son, in the latter half of the eighteenth century, began to 
preach a religious revival among his countrymen in Nejed. 
In India the movement was taken up by Seycd Ahmad of 
Eoi-Bareily, who, exchanging the life of a freebooter for that 
of a fanatic, took to studying divinity at Delhi, made a pil- 
grimage to Mecca, and after preaching his new doctrines in 
Calcutta and Bombay, set out for the Punjab to proclaim a 
jehad, or holy war, against the Seikhs. His death in battle 
in 1831 brought his mission to an early close. But his influ- 
ence survived him, and a Wahabee colony in Swat beyond the 
Indus, became the centre of a movement in which the Ma- 
hommedans of Patna have since borne a leading part. Dur- 
ing the great mutiny they plotted freely against their Chris- 
tian rulers; but the punishment inflicted on their leaders 
taught them a lesson which they will not soon forget. 

The Hindoos by religion outnumber the Mahommedans by 
about four to one. Their creeds, however varied, resolve 



IKDIA AXD HER NEIGHBORS. 27 

tliemselves into one common essence. "Whether they worship 
the Supreme Being under the form of Brahma, Vishnu, or 
Siva, or bow down to all the minor gods of the Hindoo Pan- 
theon, to say nothing of the sprites, demons, stocks, and 
serpents, borrowed from surrounding races, they all alike pro- 
fess their belief in the Shastras or holy books, as expounded 
and enforced by their Brahmin teachers. From the Vedas, 
the Puranas, and other Sanskrit writings, these Indian 
Priests and Levites have built up a ♦religious system which 
has held its ground through all the political changes of three 
thousand years. The inroads of Budhism, Islam, and Chris- 
tianity have made but little impression on a creed so wonder- 
fully adapted to all shades of Hindoo thought and feeling. In 
its purest form, as represented by the Vedantists, who accept 
the teaching of the Vedas only, it is a Theism of a high order. 
Under the guise adopted by the Brahma Samaj, the new 
eclectic school of Eamohan Eoy and Keshab Chunder Sen, 
with a lofty conception of the all-pervading power of the 
Deity, it emulates the beneficent spirit of Christianity, but 
the seal is wanting — the belief in the. Great Atonement. It 
is among the higher and more cultivated classes that Brah- 
minism in its more spiritual forms may chiefly be found. 
With the multitude it degenerates into mere idol worship and 
the mechanical observance of the rites and practices enjoined 
by their spiritual guides, whose principle of action — "popu- 
lus vult decipi, decipiatur^' — is not unknown in countries 
boasting a purer creed. 

From the older Brahminism sprang the Budhist reform of 
which Sakya Muni, a prince of Kapila to the north of Oude, 
was the real or traditional author in the sixth century, before 
Christ. Budha, or the Sage, as he was afterwards called, 
denounced the Brahmin priesthood of his day in much the 
same spirit as the early Ciiristian teachers inveighed against 
the Pharisees. He taught that 'faith and pure living were 
better than sacrifices and formal penances, that the path to 
happiness lay in love, forgiveness of injuries, self-control, auil 
doing good. Eebelling against the tyi-anny of caste, he de- 
clared that men were equal in God's eyes, and that a Brah- 
min had no more claim to special sanctity than a Sudra or a 
Pariah. The new doctrine gradually spread over many parts 
of India, and in due time won its way into Ceylon, Burmah, 
Thibet, and China. But Brahminism tought hard for life; 
in the course of centuries it supplanted its younger rival; and 



28 INDIA Al^jy HEE NEIGHBORS. 

in the tenth century of our era Budhism in India was fairly 
trampled out. The only traces of it now yisible there, be- 
sides the temples, halls, and other buildings which mark its 
former sway, may be discovered in the Jains, of whom a few 
hundred thousand dwell in Western and Central India, re- 
taining some of the old Budhist usages mixed up with those 
of the Brahminic school. Budhism as such is now confined 
to British Burmah and the hills bordering on Cashmere. 

Another revolt from Brahminism was proclaimed in the 
15th century by Nanak Shah in the Punjab, who learned 
from his master, Kabir, that lesson of spiritual brotherhood 
which he afterwards strove to practice in his own way. His 
chief aim was to establish a religious system embracing alike 
Hindoo and Mahommedan. But his followers, the Seikhs, 
as they were called, found so little favor with the Mahomme- 
dans that, after many years of persecution, they took up arms 
under Guru Govind, a successor of Nanak, and maintained a 
long and furious struggle, which finally left them for half a 
century masters of the Punjab. Their fiery prowess must 
have made up for their numerical weakness, for at this mo- 
ment the fcrue Seikhs in the Punjab number little more than 
a million, as compared with over sixteen millions Mahomme- 
dans, and Jats and others.* 

The native Christians of India are supposed to number 
about a million, most of whom are to be found in Malabar, 
Travancore, Tinnevelly, and other parts of Southern India. 
In the North there are only a few thousands, representing the 
scanty outcome of many years of missionary work. Of the 
southern Christians, the great bulk belong to the Eomish or 
the Syrian Church. Tradition assigns the origin of the lat- 
ter to the preaching of the Apostle Thomas. Be that as it 
may, a Christian community appears to have flourished in 
Malabar since the second century of our era, and in the tenth 
century many converts were made by Syrian missionaries in 
Travancore. In the middle of the 16th century the zealous 
St. Francis Xavier gathered the first converts into the Eomish 
fold. Swartz, the Danish missionary, did the like service 
two centuries later for Protestant Christianity in Southern 
India. Some fifty years elapsed before the first English mis- 
sionaries set foot in Bengal — amongst the most zealous and 
distinguished of whom were Carey, Marshman and Ward, 
Henry Martin, and Archdeacon Corrie, the friend of Heber; 

* Parliamentary Paper, 



INDIA AKD HEE KEIGHBOES. 29 

and in more recent times, Dr. Duff and, other eloquent and 
devoted men have worthily followed in their steps. 

The Mogul Empire lost its power in India in a great de- 
gree by interfering with the religion of the people. The 
decline of the Portuguese dominion was also accelerated by 
the same cause. From that error we as a government wisely 
abstain. 



30 INDIA ANI> HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER VL 

THE PEOPLE — continued. 
Caste — Character of the people— Hindoos — Mahommedans, &c. 

Caste. — In the social and religions life of the Hindoos the 
caste system has always played an important part.* The 
four castes or ^^ colors" of the old village communities, as 
described in the Code of Menu, were marked off sharply 
from each other by rules and restrictions of the most binding 
character. First in order came the Brahmins, the favorites 
of the gods, the privileged expounders of the holy books, to 
kill one of whom was the worst of crimes, while even to in- 
sult one was a wrong almost inexpiable. The Cahutriya or 
warrior caste ranked next. To this belonged most of the old 
Indian princes, and its purest living representatives are per- 
haps to be found in the Rajpoots of Central India. In the 
third rank came the Vaisyas, who concerned themselves in 
law, medicine, trade, and agriculture. 

These three classes embraced all men of pure Aryan blood; 
all the '' twice-born," as they proudly called themselves, who 
alone had the right to wear the sacred thread that distin- 
guished them from men of low or non- Aryan birth. To the 
fourth or Sudra caste were relegated all the ^^ low-born " and 
converts, who served as hewers of wood and drawers of water 
for the conquering race. They might follow only such trades 
and callings as were forbidden to the three higher castes. In 
order to keep them in their proper place, they were shut out 
from every privilege enjoyed by the twice-born. No Sudra 
for instance might dare to read the Vedas, to eat or inter- 
marry with a member of a higher caste, to sit on the same 

* " The first impression is, that caste is a thing positively unique; there is noth- 
ing in any country with whose history we are familiar, ancient or modern, with 
which it can be compared; it has a social element, but it is not a social distinction ; 
it has a religious element, but it is hardly a religious institution; it finds its sanc- 
tion in a religious idea, inasmuch as Brahma is said to have been its author, but 
it lives on irrespective of religious faith or observance." — " The Trident, the Cres- 
cent, and the Cross," by the Rev. James Vaughan. Longmans & Co., 1876. 



IKDIA k^T> HER NEIGHBORS. 31 

mat with a Bralimin, or even to amass property for his own 
use. 

In course of time, however, these distinctions tended to 
melt away or reappear under new aspects, in ever-increasing 
numbers. Caste still seems to bind Hindoo society together, 
but under conditions very different from those of Menu's day. 
Instead of four castes, there are now some hundreds, most of 
which represent particular trades, callings, or creeds, and so 
answer to the guilds, trade-unions, and sects of mediaeval and 
modern Europe. Even the Brahmins no longer form one 
caste, or refrain from pursuits once forbidden to their priestly 
forefathers. In the struggle for life, they and the Sudras 
have often changed places, and a Brahmin now thinks it no 
shame to be a soldier, or a clerk in a public or merchant's 
office, or to fulfil still more humble duties. The very Pariahs 
and dregs of Indian society, scavengers, leather-dressers, con- 
jurors, thieves, and so forth, have formed themselves into 
castes, each fenced I'ound by strict rules. In one shape or 
another, caste has made its way among the Jains, the Seikhs, 
and even the Mahommedans, numbers of whom, indeed, re- 
tain little of Mahomet's religion beyond the name. As a 
means of holding society together, of keeping men under 
some kind of moral discipline, the caste system, in its present 
shape, must be regarded as a power for good, rather than 
evil, whatever fault may be found with it as a hindrance to 
the spread of Western influences, and the free play of indi- 
vidual energies. 

Character of the People. — In mental as in bodily traits, 
there are certain broad differences betw^een the Hindoos and 
the Mahommedans. The latter, as a rule, are bolder in speech 
and bearing; more truthful, energetic, self-asserting; less re- 
fined in their tastes, less supple-witted, less patient of steady 
toil, less slow to move along new paths. Of the " mild Hin- 
doo," we heard more perhaps twenty years ago than we do 
now; and reriiembering how he behaved during the mutiny, 
one is tempted to think of Byron's Lambro, *Hhe mildest- 
mannered man that ever cut a throat." Still, in a subject 
race, mildness of manner, if coupled with other good quali- 
ties, has an undoubted charm; and the Hindoos strongly re- 
semble the Italians, alike in their worse and better traits. If 
they are more or less prone to crooked and cunning ways, if 
they are slow to forgive an enemy, and generally careless 
about speaking the truth, they are also, in the main, temper- 



32 INDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 

ate, courteous, self-control led, cheerful, industrious, keen- 
witted, religious, and kind-hearted. In short, according to 
Professor Monier Williams, as he lately told us, there are 
"no people in Europe more religious, none more patiently 
persevering in common duties, none more docile and amen- 
able to authority, none more courteous or respectful towards 
age and learning, none more dutiful to parents, none more 
intelligent." As for the vices and defects he found among 
them, these abound to no greater extent than they do " among 
those merely nominal Christians who, after all, constitute the 
real mass of the people in Europe." 

Those who have mixed most freely with the Hindoos, 
Mountstuart Elphinstone, for instance, and Colonel Meadows 
Taylor, bear witness to the same effect. Both describe them 
also as honest in their transactions with each other; and 
Elphinstone, who had a clear eye for both sides of their char- 
acter, declares with much truth, not only that those who have 
known them the longest have always judged them most favor- 
ably, but that "all persons who have retired from India 
think better of the people they have left after comparing 
them with others, even of the most justly-admired nations." 
Lord Northbrook spoke on a recent occasion under similar 
impressions. " Taking India altogether, those millions of 
Indians are a people who commend themselves most entirely 
to the affections of those who govern them. I do not think 
there exists a more contented people, a people more ready to 
obey to the letter and feel confidence and trust in those put 
over them. All do their duty to their relations and friends 
in times of difficulty, and all live peaceably one with another. 
There is no man, I venture to say, who has had charge of a 
district of India, and has had to deal with the natives of that 
country, who will not say the same as I am saying now — no 
man who has had charge of a district who does not go away 
with a feeling of affection for the natives of India — a feeling 
which remains with him during his life." 

The Hindoos are humane by nature, and believing as they 
do in the transmigration of souls are, especially in the South, 
careful of animal life, lest in destroying a beast of prey, or a 
noxious reptile or insect, they may have injured a remote an- 
cestor or deceased friend. 

But it is hardly possible to give a perfectly fair and sound 
estimate of the general character of a people divided into so 
many castes and classes, loosely held together by certain affini- 



^ 



IKDIA AKD HEK KEIGHBOKS. 33 

ties of race, language and religion. What is true, for in- 
stance, of the modern Bengalee, as painted for us in Macau- 
lay's memorable portrait of Nand-Kumar, would be far from 
true if applied to the average Hindoo of the Northwest 
Provinces, or even to the Mahrattas of Western and Central 
India, and would in no way be applicable to the Seikhs. Dif- 
ferences of climate and passing circumstances must have 
played their part in molding for good or ill the different 
types of native character, mental as well as physical. Con- 
sider, too, the difficulty of passing a fair judgment on people 
with whom we can never come into close social contact. As 
the moon always shows the same side of her body to our 
earth, so it is obvious that our native Indian subjects show 
but a part of their true nature to their foreign lords. That 
very courtesy which leads them to say pleasant things to our 
faces, enhances the difficulty of judging them aright. If it 
is hard for an average Englishman to understand an. Irish- 
man or a Frenchman, how very much harder for him to take 
the true mea'Sure of a people whose ways, thoughts, feelings, 
interests, are widely distinct from ours; whose social leaders 
will not even eat or drink with us, with whose wives and 
daughters no man is permitted to talk face to face, and whose 
self-esteem is continually wounded by the proofs of their sub- 
jection to a strange, unyielding, though far from oppressive 
rule. 

Giving every consideration to the many good qualities pos- 
sessed by the natives of India, it must be admitted by those 
who know them best that they are not a people formed to 
govern, but rather to yield obedience to a stronger will, their 
ability to pass competitive, examinations notwithstanding. 

Of course there are numerous individual exceptions to the 
above, especially in the northern and western provinces of 
India, but as for the acute and subtle genuine Bengalees, 
" there never, perhaps, existed a people so thoroughly fitted 
by nature and by habit for a foreign yoke."* 

* Lord Macaulay's Critical and Historical Essays. 



34 INDIA AKD HEK KEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTEE yiL 

EAKLY HISTORY OF INDIA. 

Complication of early Indian History — Alexander's Invasion of the 
Punjab, B.C. 327 — First Authentic Information — Commencement 
of Continuous History, A.D. 1000 — Rule of Rajpoot Princes — First 
Mahommedan Invasion by Mahmoud of Ghuzni— One Hundred and 
Eighty Nine Years after his Death his Dynasty was exterminated 
by Mahmoud, of Ghor. 

Haying described the extent and physical characteristics 
of the country, and having given some account of the various 
races which inhabit it, a brief glance at the early history of 
India appears desirable before adverting to the origin and 
progress of British rule in that country. 

That comphcated record of countries and dynasties, which 
we include under the comprehensive title of the history of 
India, presents great difficulties aliKe to the student and to 
the historian. The vastness of the subject would seem to 
exact detail, yet the amount of details which interrupted 
civilization, continual warfare, the history of vast territories, 
complex constitutions, and quickly changing dynasties afford, 
seems almost to defy a comprehensive treatment of the sub- 
ject. Little or nothing is known of the history of India be- 
fore the time of Alexander's invasion. The Vedas date about 
1400 B.C., the Code of Menu from 900 to 300, the Ramyana 
and the Mahabarata somewhat later. But these sacred books 
give us a picture of the religious and social condition of 
India, rather than of its political history. It is to the officers 
of Alexander's army that we owe our knowledge of ancient 
India. The accounts they wrote, condensed and yerified by 
Diodorus, Strabo, Pliny, Arrian, and Athenseus, dating from 
the invasion of the Punjab, B.C. 327, are our earliest au- 
thentic sources of information, and it is not until the year 
A. D. 1000, that we have anything like a continuous history 
of India. 



3-' 



Ii;rDIA AliTD HEE NEIGHBOKS. 35 

That date marks the era when Mahmond of Ghiizni in- 
vaded the country of the Hindoos, and Sanskrit, the ancient 
language of poetry, philosophy, and science gave way, before 
the rougher language of the camp. From the earliest records 
we learn that India had always been divided into large 
provinces, or kingdoms, and that these were ruled by rajahs, 
or kings, supported by a council of Brahmins or priests, who 
were entitled to sit on the right of the throne, while the 
Cahutriyas, or warriors, occupied the left. The Brahmins 
had supreme power. They could condemn a king, if they 
saw fit, but no provocation on their part would have been 
recognized as an excuse for that sovereign, who should dare 
to take the life of one of these holy men. It is believed thab 
from very early ages, the provinces, west of the Indus, were 
tributary to the kings of Persia. Alexander the Great 
claimed India through Persia, and 800 years after Alexan- 
der's time, we find that the Shah of Persia still styled him- 
self King of India. There was, however, no paramount 
sovereign of India at the time of Mahmoud's invasion. The 
rajahs were united for defence, under the rajah or king of 
Canouje, to whom, as Protector, all tributary princes paid 
allegiance. The Eajpoot race was dominant, and Hindostan, 
at that time divided into four great kingdoms, i. e., Delhi, 
Canouje, Mewar, and Guzerat. The first, second, and last- 
named had magnificent capitals. Subuctugi, the father of 
Mahmoud, from a slave had risen to sovereignty, and at the 
time of his death Mahmoud was absent in Khorassan. His 
brother Ismael seized the empire, and attempted by bribery 
and corruption to secure his position on the usurped throne. 
Mahmoud first tried persuasion upon his treacherous 
brother, but soon had to reconquer his crown and capital at 
the point of the sword, and was clemently satisfied to con- 
fine his mischievous relative for life in the luxurious 
fortress of Georghan. At the age of twenty-eight [A. D. 
997] Mahmoud's supremacy wai acknowledged from the 
frontiers of Persia to the banks of the Indus, from Balkh 
to the Arabian Sea. He reigned without a rival in the East. 
He was no less a scholar than a warrior, delighting in the 
•liberal arts, building gorgeous palaces, and laying out ex- 
quisite gardens; a prince, splendid and magnificent, even in 
the land of splendor itself. Besides these more civilized 
tastes, the lust of conquest and the fanaticism of the '' true 
believer^' possessed him. His avarice was largely tempted. 



36 IN'DIA AlTD HER I^EIGHBORS. 

by what, during his father's life-time, had become known to 
him of the riches of India, and had he needed it, the warrant 
of the prophet was not wanting to encourage him in a war of 
extermination against all unbelievers. " The sword," says 
Mahomet, ^^is the key of paradise; whoeyer falls in battle, his 
sins are forgiven." The comparatively effeminate Hindoos 
must have seemed a pleasant and easy prey to these fierce 
fanatics from the North, whose swiftness to shed blood, deso- 
lated during 300 years the Eastern world. During a period 
of twenty-four years Mahmoud made twelve expeditions 
against the cities and temples of India. Every object of 
Hindoo worship was ruthlessly destroyed; the plunder brought 
back to Ghuzni from the ravaged lands was fabulous alike in 
quantity and quality. The Rajpoot King of Lahore, on being 
taken prisoner in battle, collected a funeral pile, to which he 
set fire with his own hand, and so died, but not before ten 
necklaces had been taken from his neck, one of which alone 
was valued at £82,000. It is, however, to be borne in mind 
that the quantity and value of jewels and gold taken from 
the princes and temples of India owe much to the oriental 
imas^ination. 

After this victory Mahmoud established a Mahommedan 
governor in the Punjab, and returned to G-huzni. He 
annexed Moultan and the whole of the Peshawur Valley, 
and the greater part of Scinde, and exacted tribute from 
every sovereign from Cashmere to the mouths of the Indus. 
One of his expeditions was directed against the temple and 
fort of Binne, a structure said to have been roofed and paved 
with gold, and the enterprise of its conquerors was rewarded 
by incredible amounts of gold, silver, and jewels.* 

Andipal, King of Lahore, entreated the conqueror to spare 
the temple of Tannassar, the most holy of their sacred places 
— the Mecca of the Hindoos. Mahmoud replied that '^^ the 
followers of Mahomet were vowed to root out idolatry." The 
shrine of the god was pillaged, and the image of Jug-Soom 
smashed into a thousand atoms, which were sent to pave the 
streets of G-huzni, Mecca, and Bagdad. After plundering 
Delhi, Mahmoud returned to Ghuzni laden with treasure, 
and accompanied by 40,000 male and female captives. In the 
year 1013 he turned his destructive steps towards Cashmere, 
the paradise of Persian poets. This happy valley was devas- 
tated by his troops, and in the year 1018, after settling some 

* Sir Edward Sullivan's "Princes of India." • 



IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 37 

little difficulties witli his northern neighbors, the kings of 
Bokhara and Charism, he marched on Canouje, the capital of 
Hindustan. His Afghan and Tartar bands struck terror into 
the hearts of the inhabitants of the capital, and they fled in 
all directions, whilst the craven Prince Korra, Maharajah of 
Oanouje, after paying an enormous ransom, embraced the 
Mahommedan faith, and three years later was, with his whole 
family, put to death for his apostacy by neighboring Hindoo 
princes. But this submission on his part did not save Mut- 
tra, the fabled birth-place of the divine Krishna, from de- 
vastation. For twenty days it was given up to plunder and 
massacre, and 63,000 Hindoo devotees to the shrine were slain 
in cold blood. The wealth acquired by Mahmoud was enor- 
mous. G-reat idols of pure gold, with eyes of rubies, and 
adorned with sapphires, were among the spoils borne home- 
wards on 350 elephants, followed by 50,000 captives. With 
the accumulated plunder of eight expeditions Mahmoud now 
proceeded to beautify his Alpine capital. Ghuzni, built on 
a rock 300 feet above the surrounding plains, soon became a 
city of groves, temples, and palaces, the beauty of which was 
unrivalled in Asia. It would be impossible to follow the in- 
satiable and rapacious Mahmoud through the twelve expedi- 
tions which mark his ambitious and cruel progress. His last 
raid was on Anhulwarra, the capital of Guzerat, the third 
and most wealthy of the kingdoms of Hindustan. After oc- 
capyina: Anhulwarra, he proceeded to Somnauth, "the Dwell- 
ing of the Deity," where for forty centuries had stood the 
temple of the Hindoo god Soma, "the Lord of the Moon." 
From the extreme confines of Balkh and Persia, from the ut- 
termost regions of the Oarnatic and Bengal, niillions of cred- 
ulous pilgrims had from time immemorial wended their way 
hither, to lay their offerings at the feet of the Hindoo Pluto. 
Fabulous accounts of the riches of this shrine had reached 
Mahmoud's ears, and he resolved to make its treasures his 
own. His troops, however, at the last moment, wavered, and 
could not penetrate beyond the outworks of the sacred por- 
tions of the holy city. Then the gray- haired warrior, rising 
in his stirrups, called aloud on the name of Allah, and taking 
his favorite general by the hand, shouted to all true sons of 
the prophet to follow him. The troops rallied; a final charge 
was made, and the prize which he had come 2,000 miles to 
conquer lay at length at his feet. The Brahmins offered 
enormous sums to save their god, but in vain. Amidst the 



38 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

groans of an agonized multitude Mahmoud, raising his mace, 
struck the desecrated idol a blow on the face, and his soldiery 
speedily concluded the work their sovereign had begun. The 
idol was hollow. Piles of diamonds and sapphires, a ruby of 
enormous size, and a quantity of pure gold were extracted 
from the shrine. 

The last days of Mahmoud were overshadowed by the con- 
sciousness that, his successes notwithstanding, the empire of 
Glmzni was already tottering to its fall. The very Tartar 
hordes that had proved such valuable adjuncts in his victori- 
ous hands, threatened to become his most dangerous ene- 
mies. The size of the empire constituted its chief danger. 
A few days before his death, he entered his treasury; then 
bursting into tears, closed the doors in silence on the vast 
wealth which it contained. A day later he reviewed his 
troops, and as legion after legion passed before him, he again 
wept bitterly: then retiring in silent anguish to his " Palace 
of Delights," raised with the plunder of numberless Hindoo 
shrines and cities, after thirty-four years of adventure and 
success, he breathed out a saddened soul at last. It is now 
just thirty-four years ago since British arms bore back in 
triumph to the capital of Hindustan those world-renowned 
sandal-wood gates, which Mahmoud tore from the temple of 
Somnauth, and which his successors raised in remembrance 
and glorification of that act above his tomb. Equally suc- 
cessful in war and in peace, Mahmoud was not without some of 
the milder virtues. Mussulman historians depict him as a 
benefactor of tne human race, and to this day Moslem priests 
read the Koran over the tomb of this true son of the Prophet; 
Hindoos de^ibe him as a consuming fire-brand, whose 
claim to immortality lies in the magnitude of his crimes. 
But little of his private life is known. He is said to have 
been just, and anecdotes are told in confirmation of the as- 
sertion. His favorite wife, the daughter of his treacherous 
foe, the King of Cash gar, was called the " Sun of Beauties," 
but, as a rule, harem life is totally devoid. of interest in its 
details, and it is enough to know the fair Haramnour had 
many rivals. Mahmoud was the only great sovereign of his 
race, and in one hundred and eighty-nine years after his 
death, his dynasty became extinct. He had already foreseen 
the disruption of his empire, when the growing power of the 
Turkoman race had made itself apparent to him before the 
close of his reign, but its final ruin was caused quite as much 



IITDIA AKD HEE KEIGHBORS. 39 

by internal weakness and treachery, as by the attacks of ex- 
ternal foes. 

Mahmoud left two sons, who repeated in their own persons 
the history of their father's accession and their uncle's treach- 
ery. The younger, Mahommed, usurped the elder, Mnsuad's 
throne, but was soon deposed, and branded across the pupil 
of his eyes with a red-hot iron. Five years later the blind 
Mahommed, restored to liberty and sovereign power, returned 
with interest the treatment he had received. He degraded 
and imprisoned Musuad, and raised his own son to the throne. 
This prince, Ahmad I. , at once slew his uncle, Musuad, and 
though Mahommed, the blind king, wrote to his nephew, 
Modoad, disclaiming all complicity with the deed, Modoad 
did not hesitate to avenge his father's murder. He took 
Ahmad prisoner, and slew every member of his uncle's family. 
His brother, Musdoad, now made war against him, but some 
unknown hand assassinated the rebel and his general, and 
Modoad returned to reign at Ghuzni. 

Modoad had died at Ghuzni, and was succeeded by his 
infant son, who was murdered after six days by his uncle, 
Ali. Ali reigned two years and was deposed by Eesehed, a 
son of Mahmoud, who, after forty days, was assassinated by 
his omrahs, and Feroch Zaad, a son of Musdoad, chosen by 
lot to succeed him. Feroch reigned six years, and was suc- 
ceeded by his brother, Ibrahim, a prince who delighted in 
learning and the arts of peace. He reigned thirty-one years, 
and was succeeded by his son, Musaod II., who walked in the 
steps of his father. Musaod was succeeded by his son, Shere, 
who was almost immediately assassinated by his brother, 
Arsilla. By ram, a younger brother, defeated Arsilla under 
the walls of Ghuzni, and seated himself on the throne; but 
after a disastrous reign of thirty-five years, Byram was 
obliged to fly to India, where he died in the year 1152. 
Chusero, the son of Byram, retired to Lahore and ruled there 
for seven years, when he was succeeded by his son, Chupero 
II. Chusero and all his family were betrayed and put to 
death by Mahmoud, brother of Yaas, King of Ghor^ and with 
them the Ghuznite dynasty became extinct.* 

* Keene's " Fall of the Mogul Empire." 



40 INDIA AN^D HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

EARLY HISTORY OF INDIA — Continued. 

Hindoo Princes resolve to throw off Mussulman yoke — Mahomed of 
Ghor invades India and is defeated — Pithowra King of Delhi carries 
off the daughter of Jye-Chund Ray of Canouje — Mahomed Ghor in- 
vades India again — Takes Delhi and Canouje — Death of their Kings 
and final overthrow of Rajpoots — Mahomed returns to Ghuzni — Made 
nine Expeditions to India — Was succeeded by the Slave Kings for 
Eighty one years — Genghis Khan, with his Scythian and Tartar 
hordes — St. Louis and his Crusade — Timour the Lame — Triumphs 
over Bajazet — Returns to Samarcand laden with spoil — His Death. 

The time had now come when, perceiving the family quar- 
rels, the revolt of its governors and the encroachments of the 
Turkomans imperiling the Ghuznite empire, the Hindoo 
princes of India resolved to make a combined effort to throw 
off the Mussulman yoke. 

Mahomed of Ghor, an Afghan warrior, coming presently 
to the throne, proceeded to invade Hindustan, and singling 
out Pithowra, king of Delhi, engaged him in single combat, 
but his gallantry was in vain. His army was scattered and 
he himself carried almost insensible to Lahore. Pithowra, 
King of Delhi, after quarreling with his ally Jye-Chund Ray, 
King of Canouje, bore off the daughter of the latter, and, 
defended in his retreat by the pick of India's chivalry, suc- 
ceeded in gaining his capital with a lovely and willing bride, 
not, however, at a less cost than that of leaving nearly all his 
warrior-band dead upon the road. The abduction of this 
lady led to war between the Rajahs of Canouje and Delhi, 
which was the cause of their final overthrow and withdrawal 
from that part of India, but not before Jye-Chunii Ray had 
taken Delhi, and Pithowra had expiated his sins against his 
kingly neighbor by death. Mahomed Gori, roused by the 
news of the conquest of Delhi, now equipped himself for a 
crusade against India. He took and sacked Canouje; and 
Jye-Chund Ray, its king, met with a congenial death in the 



nTDIA AITD HEE NEIGHBORS. 41 

sacred waters of the Ganges. Jye-Chiind Eay of Canouje 
and Pithowra of Delhi were the last great Hindoo sovereigns 
of Hindustan (1194), and with the fall of their capitals and 
the expatriation of the Eajpoots the military spirit of the 
people was extinguished. After the conquest of Delhi, Ma- 
homed turned his arms against Bengal, where he took the 
sacred city of Benares, and, after pillaging a thousand 
shrines and temples, returned to Ghuzni at the head of his 
victorious army, followed by 4, 000 camels laden with the spoils 
of his conquests. Mahomed Ghor made nine expeditions to 
India, and left a treasure the amount of which sounds incredi- 
ble in western ears. He was at last assassinated, and left only 
one daughter. After his death the empire was divided 
amongst his slaves. The so-called dynasty of the slave kings 
lasted for eighty-one years. It presents the usual features of 
crime and assassination, since it numbered ten sovereigns, 
only three of whom died natural deaths. 

It is not until the year 1227, the year in which St. Louis 
led his ill-fated crusade to the Holy Land, that Genghis 
Khan, at the head of his Scythian and Tartar hordes, arrests 
the attention of the student of Indian History. Chief of the 
pastoral millions of central Asia, the career of the Shepherd 
King was one of unceasing bloodshed. He burst on the king- 
doms of Asia with an army never equalled in numbers either be- 
fore or since. According to Elphinstone, " this irruption of the 
Moguls was the greatest calamity that has fallen on mankind 
since the Deluge. They had no religion to teach, and no 
seeds of improvement to sow, nor did they offer an alternative 
of conversion or tribute; their only object was to slaughter 
and destroy, and the only trace they left was in the devasta- 
tion of every country which they visited." * 

Knowing no god but his own will, no pleasure but the de- 
struction of his kind (it is said that upwards of 14,000,000 
were slaughtered by Genghis during the last twenty years of 
his life), he scoffed alike at learning and religion, littered his 
horses with the contents of the grandest library in Asia, 
burned the Bible, and cast the Koran under his horse's feet 
in the holy mosque of Bokhara. The empire he bequeathed 
to his son extended 1,800 leagues from east to west, and more 
than 1,000 from north to south. His was the portentous 
shadow that heralded the coming event. The Mogul age 

* " History of India," by the Hon. Mountatuart Elphinstone. Edited by E. B. 
Cowell, M. A. 



42 IlifDIA AE"D HEE N'EIGHBORS. 

had fallen on India, and Genghis was only paving the way for 
the invasion of Timour the Tartar, 150 years later.* 

Genghis Khan was succeeded by Feroze, and he in turn by 
his sister, the beautiful Sultana Eizia, who was put to death 
soon after her accession. In 1287, Feroze the Benevolent 
ascended the throne. Alia the Sanguinary carried war into 
the Deccan. an account of which will be found in a later 
chapter. From 1321-1387 endless Afghan rulers sat on the 
throne of Hindustan. Amongst them may be numbered 
Mubarick, Ohusero, Ghaji, Toghlak, Mahomed III. and 
Feroze the Benevolent. 

In 1398, nearly 400 years after the invasion of Mahmoud 
of Ghuzni, came Timour the Tartar, or Timour Leng, so 
called from his lameness. During five days this ferocious 
slayer of men gave up Delhi to rapine and pillage, and every 
soul above fifteen years of age was ruthlessly butchered by 
his soldiery. History has no horrors to compare with those 
of this wholesale slaus^hter. In less than an hour after the 
diabolical order was given one hundred thousand human 
beings had, according to Mussulman historians, been massa- 
cred in cold blood. Erecting his standard above this city of 
shambles, Timour seated himself on the ancient musnud of 
the Sultans of Dehli, and there received the petitions of fallen 
kings, and the homage of suppliant sovereigns. Petitioned 
by the Brahmins to spare their god, '^I will break your 
gods," he ruthlessly replied, "to give them the opportunity 
of performing a miracle and making themselves whole." 

Timour did not remain long in Hindustan. He feared the 
effects of its enervating climate on his army, inured to the 
snow and frosts of Central Asia. At this time the fame of 
Bajazet's, the Ottoman conqueror's exploits, reached Timour 
Leng's ears, and he determined to lose no time in picking up 
the gauntlet for supreme authority, which he conceived Ba- 
jazet to have cast down. But though he resolved on quitting 
Delhi, he was equally determined that his name should not 
be forgotten. He caused the money of the ancient capital of 
Hindostan to be stamped with his image and superscription, 
and his name to be invoked in the mosques (as it was cursed 
in the Brahminical temples) of Hindustan. 

Timour triumphed over Bajazet, and, glutted with con- 
quest, returned to Samarcand, to hold high festival in cele- 
bration of the marriages of his six grandsons. The gardens 

* Sir Edward Sullivan's "Princes of India," 



IIS'DIA AKD HEE NEIGHBOKS. 43 

of the Imperial palace ran with kermiz, hippocrene, brandy, 
and the choicest wines; several large forests were cut down to 
supply fuel for the banquets, which lasted two months. 
The turquoise gates and the porcelain pavilion were open to 
all comers, whilst the Green Palace which Timour had erected 
as a convenient place whither to conduct rivals or relatives 
quietly, and there kill them outright, or, if clemently dis- 
posed, apply the terrible *^ fire- pencil " to their eyes, was 
closed by royal command. Soon after this pompous celebra- 
tion of his pride and victories, the king of twenty-eight 
crowns was summoned to his last account. Calmly stretched 
upon his bed, as though his life had been one of serene 
benevolence from his earliest career, he awaited death with 
tlie often-repeated Mahomedan formula on his lips: ''There 
is no God but God." 



44 , INDIA Al^D HEE KEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE MOGUL OR TARTAR DYNASTY. 

Baber founder of Mogul dynasty — Baber's Exploits and Character — 
Hoomayoon — Contemporary Events and Characters — Flodden Field 
— Knighls of St. John and Solyman — Luther — Francis the First and 
Bayard — Charles V. and Titian — Michael Angelo — Torquato Tasso 
— Henry VIII. — Pope Leo — Akbar the Great—His rare Personal 
Qualities and Enlightened Policy — His reign coincides with that of 
Elizabeth — His death — Memory, how revered — JeJiangire — The 
beautiful Noor Mahal — Shah Jehan — Built the Taj Mahal and adorned 
Delhi — Aurungzebe a bad man but a good Sovereign — What he did 
and how he died — Anarchy — Shah Alam I. — Concessions to Mahrat- 
tas — Sivajee — Peishwa — Nadir Shah — Massacre at Delhi — Eetires 
laden with spoil — Peacock Throne — Koh-i-noor — Nadir murders his 
son and is himself assassinated — Shah Alam II. rescued by Lord 
Lake in 1803 — The last great Mogul dies a convict in a remote pro- 
vince. ^ 

Baber Khaiis^ of Kokhand, the founder of the Mogul dy- 
nasty of Hindustan, 1527, was descended both from Genghis 
Khan and from Timonr. He was well-fitted, alike by birth 
and nature, to take his place amongst the splendid array of 
contemporary sovereigns who mark the period of the '* Ee- 
naissance " — the age that witnessed the chivalry of Scotland 
meet a glorious death on Flodden Field; that saw the 
Knights of St. John striving hopelessly against Solyman 
with his army of 140,000 men, and his fleet of 4.00 ships. It 
was during this age that the German monk burned the papal 
bull before the gates of Wittenburg, and Francis the First 
solicited knighthood after the battle of Marsignano at the 
hands of Bayard. It was in this age that the Emperor 
Charles V. stooped at Titian's feet to pick up the brush 
which had fallen from the great master's hand. Michael 
Angelo built St. Peter's, and decorated the Sistine Chapel, 
and Torquato Tasso wrote his " Oerusalemma Liberata.^^ 
The eighth Henry reigned in England, the first Francis in 



INDIA ANt) HER KEIGHBORS. 45 

Prance/ the fifth Charles in Germany and Spain, and Pope 
Leo X. a Maecenas amongst Popes. 

Before the age of sixteen, Baber had twice seized and occu- 
pied the great Mogul capital of Samarcand; he took Cabul in 
1504; in 1518 he conquered the Punjab; in 1526 he iuTaded 
India, met Ibrahim Lodi, the last sultan of the Lodi race 
that reigned in Hindustan, and defeated him at the battle of 
Paniput, where, after the yictory, the dead body of the king 
was found surrounded by 6,000 Afghan nobles, who had 
fought until their last breath by the side of their sovereign. 
In the year 1527, the Afghans and Hindoos, led on by Sangua 
Eana, of Ondypore, leagued themselyes together against 
Baber, but were utterly routed near Agra, and the capture of 
Chanderi, 1528, seemed to establish his ascendancy. Yet it 
was not until his forty-fourth year that Baber seated himself 
permanently on the throne of Delhi, and established the 
Mogul dynasty in Hindustan. Thenceforth his energies were 
devoted to the arts of peace. His memoirs, written in simple 
language, form one of the most delightful biographies ever 
given to the world. He was a poet, a musician, and a botanist. 
Learned in all eastern lore, he united with the theology of 
Mahomed the abstruse studies of the Moorish doctors, and a 
thorough knowledge of the Persian poetry and literature of 
his native Turkestan. Merciful for a Mogul, tolerant for a 
Mussulman — chivalrous, generous, and brave — an affectionate 
son and a devoted father, we find in him united all the 
noblest qualities of the east and of the west. The only blot upon 
his otherwise noble character was that fatal vice common to 
his race and lineage, brt not even the degrading effects of in- 
temperance could dim the lustre of his fine nature, or over- 
throw his powerful intellect. His son being ill, Baber was 
told by the wise men that the only propitiation for his life 
would be the sacrifice of what he himself most valued. " That 
must be my own existence," he replied, and in nursing his 
heir he contracted the illness which was shortly to kill him. 
By his dying request his remains were taken to Cabul. He 
met his end calmly and bravely. His last words were the 
Mahomedan formula, " There is no God but God;" and with 
these upon his lips, Mahomed Baber, surnamed the Vic- 
torious, passed away from a world A^^here, even in that splen- 
did age, few could be said to equal, none to excel him. 

Baber dead, his beloved son, Hoomayoon, ascended the 
throne, which already began to totter to its foundations. 



46 I]SrDIA 1:^-0 her isTEIGSfiORS. 

Shere Khan, the foremost man in India, an Afghan chief of 
great physical and mental power, rebelled and conquered 
Hoomayoon at Agra. Escaping with his life to Ajmere, he 
was received by its friendly Eajpoot sovereign, and here in 
the -fortress of Ammercote was born his son, Mahomed Akbar, 
destined to become the most enlightened legislator and the 
greatest monarch that ever ascended an eastern throne. 
Shere Khan, having established himself on the musnud of 
Hoomayoon, reigned five years, and left the throne to his son, 
Selim, who reigned nine years, and followed in the enlight- 
ened footsteps of his father.. Four princes of the family of 
Shere Khan sat on the throne of Hindustan, in the two years 
succeeding Selim's death, when, in 1555, Hoomayoon was re- 
called, after a banishment of sixteen years, to his capital. 
Tlie sceptre of empire had now passed forever from che 
Afghans, but Hoomayoon did not live to enjoy his restora- 
tion. He slipped on the terrace of his palace at Delhi, was 
taken up insensible, and never spoke again. In the tomb of 
Hoomayoon, near Delhi, the first hereditary Mogul sovereign, 
the last Mogul Emperor of Delhi, was taken prisoner, with 
three of his sons; the latter were soon afterwards shot on 
their way to Delhi by Captain Hodson, in 1857. Hoomayoon 
was succeeded by his son, Akbar the Victorious, whose reign 
coincides with that of Elizabeth of England. He was the 
first Indian emperor who made no distinction between Hin- 
doos and Mussulmans. He maintained that each creed 
had an equal claim on his protection and impartiality, 
and disclaimed, both by word and deed, all sympathy with 
the intolerance of his countrymen. He suppressed en- 
forced suttees, and permitted widows to marry again. In 
accordance with his principles of perfect toleration he al- 
lowed the Jesuits to build churches in Agra and Lahore, and 
to endow colleges. Chivalry offers nothing more striking 
than his daring deeds of prowess; rejoicing in fighting for 
fighting's sake, he yet possessed the most conspicuous ability 
as a great commander, and the most beneficent genius as a 
wise king. Proud of his personal strength, humane, just, 
and generous, he stands a splendid and unrivalled figure in 
the history of Hindustan. He recovered Delhi and Agra 
from Hemu Eajah, stormed and took Chitore, reconquered 
Guzerat, Behar, Bengal, and Orissa from his rebel nobles, 
and thus crushed out the last remains of Afghan power in 
Hindustan. Cashmere was conquered in 1587, Scinde in 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOES. 47 

1592, and Oandahar in 1594. Besides his hereditary do- 
minions beyond the Indus,, the whole of Hindostan except 
Oadypore, was under his swayr~ The great mistake of his 
life was that of attempting to conquer the Mohammadan 
kingdoms of the Deccan. The successful defence of Ahmed- 
nuggur by its noble queen is celebrated in Indian history. 
Akbar succeeded, it is true, in annexing Kandeish, and 
Jehangire and Aurungzebe followed up these conquests, but 
they were nevertheless destined to be the rum of the Mogul 
J'] m pi re. When Akbar's days were drawing to a close, he 
called his eldest son Selim to his side, and confided his kiug- 
dorn and faithful servants to the care of his successor, closing 
his farewell address with the touching words, "My servants 
and dependents, when I am gone forget thou not, neither the 
afflicted in their hour of need; ponder word for word on all 
that I have said to thee. Do thou bear all in mind, and again 
forget me not." And thus on the night of the 10th October, 
1605, Akbar Shah, the ornament of the world, the Asylum 
of the Nations, the King of Kings, the G-reat, the Fortunate 
and the Victorious, took leave of the world, and passed to 
'' where beyond these voices there is peace. To this day his 
memory is held in reverence by the faithful, and pilgrimages 
are made to his magnificent tomb near Agra.* 

Akbar was succeeded by his son, Jehangire Selim, surnamed 
the Conqueror of the World, whose eldest son Chusero re- 
belled against his father, and was imprisoned for life. His 
third son, Shah Jehan, succeeded him, and was in turn suc- 
ceeded by his third son, Aurungzebe, names well known in 
history. But although the Mogul Empire seemed to grow in 
outward glory, the race of Baber never produced, after Akbar, 
a really great man. Jehangire, an intemperate and vicious 
prince, owed much to the services of Aiass the Good, the 
father of the celebrated Noor-Mahal, or Light of the Harem, a 
woman who, during twenty years, ruled Jehanghire and the 
Empire of Hindustan with a power as absolute as that exer- 
cised by Semiramis or Cleopatra. Sir Thomas Eoe, the Eng- 
lish ambassador sent by James I. to the Court of the great 
Mogul, gives a most amusing account of his intercourse with, 
and the life and habits of, this singular sovereign, whose 
frightful habits of intemperance were most disgusting. The 
Empress Noor-Mahal survived Jehanghire eighteen years, and 

* Lord La^e quartered in this vast building a regiment of dragoons with their 
horses. 



48 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBORS. 

£250,000 a year was paid to her annually as jointure out of 
the national treasury. 

Shah Jehan ascended the Mogul throne in 1628, and in- 
augurated his reign by indiscriminate slaughter of all his male 
relatives. He married a niece of the beautiful Noor-Mahal 
and never took any other woman to wife. To her memory a 
devoted and faithful affection raised the celebrated Taj 
Mahal, the most perfect specimen of Saracenic architecture 
in the world. During twenty- two years 20,000 men were em- 
ployed, and nearly a million sterling was expended upon it. 
The years 1631-32 were marked by plague, pestilence, and 
famine, which converted the smiling plains into howling wil- 
dernesses. Seeing the distress of his people, Shah Jehan did 
all that he could to relieve their sufferings, but still the hand 
of the angel of death was not stayed. At length, disgusted 
by the apathy which sought relief at the shrines of their gods 
rather than in action and energy, he drew the sword of re- 
ligious persecution and destroyed temples and gods alike with 
an unsparing hand. The impolicy of such a line of action 
soon became apparent to him, for he said he had converted, 
after this fashiSn, thousands to enthusiasm and martyrdom, 
and observed that '^a prince who wishes to have subjects 
must take them with all the trumpery and trouble of their 
religion!" Shah Jehan was an able ruler, though his private 
character was disfigured by many vices. He was boundless 
in his display and enjoyed a revenue of forty millions sterling. 
He beautified Agra with the Taj and immortalized himself by 
.those lovely gardens at Delhi which have inspired all subse- 
quent eastern song and romance, as well as by the fortified 
palace and other magnificent structures within its walls. 
Shah Jehan's sons rebelled against him as he had rebelled 
against his father, and Aurungzebe, his third son, who 
usurped his throne and kept him for the last eight years 
under restraint, was never mentioned by Shah Jehan without 
curses. ^' Fathers have been dethroned by their sons before," 
it was his custom to observe, " but it was reserved for Au- 
rungzebe to insult the misfortune of a parent." His death 
made no difference to Aurungzebe, who had been for many 
years the actual Emperor of Hindustan. 

Ascetic by nature and ambitious by disposition, Aurung- 
zebe was eminently adapted to ca-rry out a policy of dissimu- 
lation. Hypocritical, unforgiving and crafty, suspicious, 
cold-hearted, and a bigot in religion, he was none the less a 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOES. 49 

skilful ruler. A bad man but a good sovereign, his evil acts 
were those of nature, his good those of policy. His power- 
ful character declared itself when his father, Shah Jehan, 
was first struck with paralysis. He threw his brother Morad, 
the favorite of the army, into prison, and finally caused him 
to be beheaded. Dara, his eldest brother, fled beyond the 
Indus, and soon after, losing his only, and passionately loved 
wife, Dara tore off his imperial turban, cast aside his magni- 
ficent robes, and renounced forever the hopes and pleasures 
of life. Not long after this he was betrayed to Aurungzebe 
and carried in ignominy to Delhi, where his brother and sov- 
ereign ordered his immediate assassination. Sujah, the 
youngest brother, was slain in Arracan, and Soliman, the son 
of Dara, and Sefe, his grandson, as well as the child of 
Morad, having been compelled to drink " poust," the potion 
prepared from poppy seeds, by which it was customary to 
remove superfluous princes of the house of Timour, Aurung- 
zebe at length reigned undisturbed, the greatest potentate of 
the eastern world. 

He defeated the Afghans, forced them to re-cross the In- 
dus, and carried fire and sword into the fair valleys of Af- 
ghanistan. Notwithstanding religious intolerance, peace 
marked the history of the central provinces of Hindustan, 
but the emperor's contests with the kingdoms of the Deccan 
and the inroads of Rajjooots, Afghans, Seikhs, and Mahrattas 
show how numerous were the enemies of the Mogul race. A 
portent of the rapid fall which it would experience whenever 
the master hand should fail. 

From this period the history of Aurungzebe is so involved 
with that of the history of the Deccan that we must refer our 
readers to the succeeding chapter for much which belongs 
properly to the history of Hindustan. It was in the year 
1707, at Ahmednuggur in the Deccan, in the fiftieth year of 
his reign and the ninetieth of his age, that the great message 
came to Aurungzebe. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! was, 
like that of Solomon, '^the sad and splendid," his farewell 
cry. He desired to be buried in the simplest manner, and 
left orders that no splendid mausoleum should be erected to 
his memory. A bad son, an unjust father, an inhuman 
brother, he was nevertheless, as a ruler, nearly as great as 
Akbar, as a warrior, as brave as Baber, and, as a sovereign, 
more magnificent than either of those princes. He encour- 
aged learning, science, and the arts, developed commerce and 



50 Il^^DIA Al^^D HER NEIGHBORS. 

agriculture, was indefatigable in business, and moderate in 
his pleasures. 

Some idea of the anarchy that succeeded Aurungzebe's 
death may be gathered from the fact that during eleven years 
— 1707-1718 — five sovereigns sat upon the musnud of the 
Moguls, two of whom, together with six unsuccessful com- 
petitors, were slain in battle, or otherwise came to untimely 
ends. Bahadur Shah, the successor of Aurungzebe, was 
forced to make concessions to the Mahrattas, who, under 
Sackojee and the Peishwas, had already seized their opportu- 
nity. From 1718-1803 they were often supreme at Delhi; 
but the sight of Eajpoots, Mahrattas, Seikhs, and Jats, all 
contending against each other, or united against a nominal 
sovereign, could not fail to arrest the attention of the con- 
queror, who was watching the situation with a keenly ob- 
servant eye, and only waiting the opportunity to dash in and 
seize the prize. 

The invasion of Nadir Shah, in 1738, completely shattered 
the empire of the Moguls. 

Nadir Shah was a Persian of low origin. He answered 
all enquiries as to his birth and lineage by the conclusive 
argument of the pedigree of the sword. His son desiring to 
marry a princess of the race of Timour, an envoy of the now 
merely nominal sovereign of Hindustan required that he 
should prove a male pedigree extending through seven gen- 
erations. " Go, tell your master," Nadir Shah replied, dis- 
missing the ambassador with contempt, ''that my son is the 
son of Nadir Shah, the son of the sword, the grandson of the 
sword, and so on until he has a descent of seventy genera- 
tions instead of seven."* 

Nadir Shah, after driving the Afghans out of Persia, fol- 
lowed them into Hindustan. The Emperor Mahomed made 
a feeble show of resistance, but quickly retired before the vic- 
torious arms of the conqueror. In the massacre he ordered 
afc Delhi the streets ran blood, but during the awful hours 
of slaughter Nadir Shah, unmoved and calm, remained seated 
in a mosque in the great Bazar. So terrible was his coun- 
tenance that none dared approach him. At length Mahomed 
and his omrahs ventured into his ruthless presence. He 
asked them what they wanted, and they humbly implored 
him to spare their city, but he answered not a word, until 
Mahomed, bathed in tears, prostrated himself on the ground, 

* Sir Edward Sullivan. 



IKDIA AKD HEB KEIGHBOKS. 1)1 

laying his crown at the conqueror's feet; and on this act of 
submission, Nadir ordered the massacre to be stayed. 

Thirty- seven days Nadir Shah occupied Delhi. Before 
quitting the city he replaced the humbled Mahomed on the 
throne. He commenced his return march laden with treas- 
ure, variously estimated at from £10,000,000 to £30,000,000 
sterling. Amongst his spoils were the famous peacock throne* 
of Shah Jehan, and that historic diamond which excited the 
admiration of the visitors to the Great Exhibition in 1851, 
and is now the most precious gem in the regalia of the 
Empress of India. 

Had he chosen to do so, there is no doubt but that Nadir 
could have estabhshed a Persian dynasty on the throne of 
Delhi, but he was wise enough to see that an empire with two 
capitals so far apart as Delhi and Ispahan must result in dis- 
aster, and naturally preferrino: the land of his speech and 
kindred to that of Moguls and 'Hindoos he returned to Persia. 
He was assassinated in his tent, near Meshed, by his own 
nobles, whose indignation he had excited first by the murder 
of his own son, and then by the massacre of fifty persons of 
high rank, because they had not interfered on behalf of his 
heir., 

Mahomed Shah survived the invasion of Delhi nine years, 
and died in 1748, after a disastrous reign of thirty years. He 
was succeeded by his son, Ahmed Shah, but the days of the 
Mogul dynasty were numbered, and another power, with 
advancing standards, was in the field, to whom Mogul and 
Mahratta must alike give place. The fifteenth great Mogul, 
Shah Alam II., was rescued by Lord Lake from the Mahrattas 
in 1803, and the seventeenth and last, a victim, or traitor, or 
both, was taken prisoner after the treacherous outbreak of 
1857, and died a convict in a remote corner of the distant 
province of Pegu in 1863. 

Thus ended the once powerful and magnificent dynasty of 
the great Mogul, which, in the zenith of its power, possessed 
a revenue of £40,000,000, and a veteran army of 500,000 
men, with a mighty artillery under Europeans. The court 
of the emperor, whether he was enthroned in his sumptuous 
palace at Delhi, or took the field either for pleasure of war, 
was, under Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe, unequaled for the 
number of subject kings and princes, and the splendor of its 
appointments. 

• Valued by Tavernier, a French jeweler, at £6,000,000— an evident exaggeration. 



52 IKDIA AKi) HER NEIGHBORS. 

Sir Thomas Koe, Bernier, and others who accompanied the 
Mogul in these imperial progresses, describe the grand camp 
as on a colossal scale, containing^ithin its canvas walls ample 
accommodation not only for a great army and its countless 
followers, but every luxury, however superfluous. 

In addition to magnificently caparisoned elephants and 
horses, with hawks, hounds, and hunting tigers for field 
sports, there was a menagerie of the rarest animals for the 
amusement of the emperor and the court. 

There were ^^Halls of audience for public assemblies and 
privy councils, with all the courts and cabinets attached to 
them, each hall magnificently adorned, and having within it 
a raised seat or throne for the emperor, surrounded by gilded 
pillars with canopies of velvet, richly fringed and superbly 
embroidered; separate tents, as mosques and oratories; baths; 
and galleries for archery and gymnastic exercises; a seraglio 
as remarkable for luxury and privacy as that of Delhi."* 

Nothing, according to Bernier, can be more royal and mag- 
nificent than the seraglio on the line of march. " Stretch 
imagination to its utmost limits, and you can conceive no 
exhibition more grand and imposing," the ladies, in curtained 
canopies, mounted on huge elephants, blazing with gold and 
azure, surrounded with eunuchs, well mounted and splen- 
didly dressed, with troops of female servants from Tartary 
and Cashmere, fantastically attired, on handsome horses. 

No wonder if such a vision inspired the imagination of 
Indian poets, and made them ^'represent the elephants as con- 
veying so many goddesses, concealed from the vulgar gaze. " 

* Sydney Owen, Bernier, <S;c. 



iKDIA AND HEK ISTEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE DECCAK. 

Plij'sical Features — Ancient Splendor of Madura and Beejanuggur — 
Well-being of the People — First Invasion by Alia the Sanguinary — • 
Arabs — Kingdoms of the Deccan — Mahommedan Kings of Beeja- 
pore, Ahmednuggur, Golconda and Baidar league against great 
Hindoo Kingdom of Beejanuggur — Site gf Madras granted to Eng- 
land in 1640 — Mysore — Akbar — Beautiful Queen of Gurrah — Aurung- 
zebe — Rise of Mahrattas — Sivajee — Sack of Surat — Raja of Satara — 
Nizam-ul-Mulk founder of Hydrabad Dynasty — The Peishwas — Tara 
Bhye — Hyder Ali — First Mysore War — Sir Eyre Coote — Second My- 
sore War — Tippoo Saib — Third Mysore War — Fourth Mysore War — 
Fall of Seringapatam and Death of Tippoo — Hindoo Dynasty re- 
stored — The last of the Peishwas — His odious Administration and 
Deposition — His adopted son the Nana Sahib, of Bithoor. 

The history of the Deccan, or the south country, is closely 
interwoYen with that of Hindustan, hut it has nevertheless a 
history and fortunes of its own. 

Between the twenty-third and twenty-fifth parallels of 
latitude, the Vendhya range, extending from the northwest 
of Guzerat to the Ganges, divides the Deccan from Hindustan, 
although the Mogul emperors affected to regard the Ner- 
budda as the boundary of the provinces directly subject to 
the Imperial Crown.* 

The Deccan is, after passing the broad and deep valleys of 
the Nerbudda and Taptee, for the most part, a lofty table- 
land of triangular form, buttressed on all sides by ranges of 
hills, called the Ghats, or Stairs, that on the west, being the 
highest and best known, having a border of low land inter- 

* The Mogul emperors fixed the Nerbudda for the limit of their provinces in 
those two great divisions, but the division of the nations is made by the Vindhya 
mountains It is well remarked by Sir W. Jones and Major Rennell that both 
banks of rivers in Asia are generally inhabited by the same community. The rule 
appHes to Europe, and is as true on the Rhine or the Po, as of the Ganges or the 
Nile. Rivers are precise and convenient limits for artificial divisions, but they are 
no great obstacles to communication ; and to form a natural separation between 
nations, requires the real obstruction of a mountain chain. — MoxintsUmrt JElpMn- 
atone. i 



54 IKDIA AKi) HER NEIGSBOES. 

yening between them and the sea, possessing in some portions 
scenery of singular beauty and variety. 

The lofty table-land has a general inclination from west to 
east, from the Malabar to the Coromandel coast, the province 
of Orissa, its eastern border, and merging on the southwest 
in the large table-land of Mysore. Its chief rivers, having 
their rise in the Western Ghats, flow across the peninsula in 
deep channels, little accessible to the cultivator for the irriga- 
tion of his fields. 

There are vast tracks of forest, having patches of culti- 
vation, with villages few and far between, but the usual as- 
pect of this elevated region is that of billowy downs, covered 
with verdure, or that of vast plains of waving cotton and 
corn, without a tree or a farm-house to break the monotony, 
the people choosing, as is usual with the agricultural popula- 
tion — especially in Eastern countries — to live together for 
mutual protection in villages more or less remote. When the 
crops are gathered, and the grass is withered from the heat 
of the sun, nothing can be more dreary than the general 
aspect of the country. 

" All the traditions and records of the peninsula recognize, 
in every part of it, a period when the natives were not 
Hindus."* 

Tamil, the language of the most ancient kingdoms of the 
south of the peninsula, appears to have preceded the intro- 
duction of Sanskrit, and Professor Wilson is of opinion that 
the civilization of the Deccan preceded our era by many cen- 
turies. 

Strabo and Arrian, on the authority of the companions of 
Alexander, describe the inhabitants of the south as not in- 
ferior in refinement to the other nations of India, and the 
former historian mentions that Pandyon, one of the minor 
kings of the Deccan, had sent an ambassador to Augustus. 

There are five languages spoken in the Deccan, which ap- 
pear to point to a similar number of national divisions, f 

Centuries before our era the Pandyon dynasty reigned in 
Madura, where they have continued • to reign until compara- 
tively recent times. The Cholas reigned in Conjeveram and 
afterwards in Tan j ore. 

After many revolutions and changes, of which we know 
little or nothing, these states, in 1300, were merged in the 
vast Hindoo kingdom of Beejanuggur. Madura and Bee- 

* Professor Wilson, + Mountstuart Elphinstone. 



INDIA Al^T) HEK NEIGHBOES. 55 

januggur are represented by travelers as having exceeded 
Delhi and Oanouje in splendor and magnitude, whilst the 
irrigation works, tanks, highly- cultivated country and general 
well-being of the people proved the government to have been 
an enterprising and enlightened one. It was under Alia the 
Sanguinary, nephew Snd murderer of the amiable Feroze that 
the Deccan was first invaded (1284) by a sovereign of Hin- 
dustan. During his predecessor's lifetime Alia had been 
Governor of those districts of which the boundary is the Ner- 
budda. The fabulous accounts of the temples and shrines, 
of the fair cities, and fruitful plains of the countries of the 
Deccan, tempted Alia, on ascending the throne, to advance 
upon the coveted territory. He took and sacked Dowlatabad, 
and the Agas of the Moslem conqueror were astonished by the 
undreamed-of glories of Ellora and Ajunta. Encouraged by 
success. Alia despatched his General Oafoor with orders to pene- 
trate south as far as the kingdoms of the Oarnatic and Mysore. 

There were few Mahommedans in the Deccan; but a band 
of enterprising Arabs had established themselves on the coast 
of Malabar, and with a fierce and untiring vigor, carried on 
a joint war for the true faith, and in defence of their trad- 
ing occupations. Whilst Oafoor was ravaging the smiling 
regions of the south, sacking Hindoo cities and pillaging 
Hindoo shrines. Alia invaded Guzerat (A. D. 1300), and de- 
stroyed the cities of Anhulwarra and Somnauth, rebuilt after 
the conquest of Mahjnoud by a subsequent Jain sovereignty. 
From thence he led his armies against Eajpootana and other 
states. 

Alia and his general, Oafoor, having ravaged. Guzerat, Eaj- 
pootana, and the fertile kingdoms of the Oarnatic, were now 
called home by the incursions of the Mogul on Delhi; but 
from the first invasion of the Deccan, under Alia the San- 
guinary, until 1818, when English arms reduced its princes 
to submission, the Deccan never again knew a moment's 
]-)eace. In 1347, fifty-two years after Alia the Sanguinary 
first conquered Dowlatabad, the great revolt of the Deccan 
Ameers against Mahomed bin Tuglak occurred, when Zuffier 
Kahn, a successful soldier, was raised to the throne. He 
founded the Brahmini dynasty, so called in grateful remem- 
brance of his old master and benefactor, who was a Brahmin, 
which reigned at Kalburga from 1347 to 1526. 

In 1526 the kingdom was divided under the Adil Shahis of 
Beejapore, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednuggur, the Kutub 



56 IKDIA A:N'D her iifEIGHBOES. 

Shahis of Golconda, the Fuad Shaliis of Berar, and the Barid 
Shahis of Baidar. After this rebellion the Mahommedan 
rulers of Delhi never again crossed the Nerbudda until the 
reign of Akbar. These Mahommedan kingdoms of the Dec- 
can were at the height of their prosp^ity when the Portu- 
guese first went to India; and in 1565 the kings of Beejapore, 
Ahmednuggur, Golconda, and Baidar combined against the 
Hindoo kingdom of Beejanuggur. The aged king, Eam 
Eaja, was slain in cold blood, and his kingdom rent in pieces; 
and it was from a successor of Eam Eaja that the English in 
1640 received the grant of the site of Madras. It was then 
that Mysore became independent. Akbar carried his arms 
into the Deccan, but was met by heroic opposition from the 
beautiful Hindoo Queen of Gurrah, Dughetti, who, deserted 
by her troops and agonized by the loss of her son, preferred 
death to disgrace, and terminated her own existence. 

It was during the wars caused by the endeavors of Akbar's 
successors to reduce the kingdoms of the Deccan, that the 
Mahrattas rose to supreme power, both in the Deccan and 
Hindustan. 

The Mahrattas were so called from Maharastra, a land of 
mountain fastnesses — a Switzerland — on the western margin 
of the Deccan, a fitting cradle for the future plunderers and 
conquerors of India. 

These mountain rats, as the Great Mogul, Aurungzebe, 
contemptuously called them, notwithstanding the want of any 
literature of their own — their rude and ungainly appearance, 
the absence of all refinement in manners and social habits, and 
their inferiority in other respects to the other natives of the 
Deccan, have, from their indomitable perseverance and energy, 
whether as peaceful tillers of the soil or as marauders or sol- 
diers, achieved an influence and renown, not only beyond all 
the other nations of the South, but have more nearly accom- 
plished universal dominion in India than any other Hindoo 
people. * 

* The Mahratta country proper extends from Surat and Nagpur to Bijapiir and 
Goa— a hilly tract bounded by the Satpura Mountains on the north, and the Shya- 
dra range of the Western Ghats, and the maritime belt of the Kohkan on the west, 
and watered by the Nerbudda, the Tapti, the Godavery, the Bima, and the 
Kishtna. The cradle of the race lies in the Mawuls of the Deccan, or upland val- 
leys of the mountain sources of the Godavery, Bima, or Kishtna. The Mahratta 
country, indeed, corresponds with the kingdom of the ancient Rajput dynasty of 
the Yadavas in Telingana. It is the Cabul of the Deccan— a country abounding in 
all the resources of war, in wliich armies can be prepared in perfect secrecy, and 
descend to sweep the rich plains below without a moment's warning, to which 
every road affords a safe retreat, and which is unassailable, except b^ a scientific 
foe, — Jhi''^ Timea^'' Summary. 



IKDIA AJS^D HER NEIGHBORS. 57 

The Malirattas early took service in the armies of the 
Mahommedan kings of Delhi and the Deccan. In 1553, 
Shajee, of the respectable Bosla family., was commander of a 
party of horse of the Nizam Shah of Ahmednuggur. He was 
the father of the famous Sivajee, who was born at the fort of 
Joonair, in 1627. At nineteen, he seized the hill fort of 
Torna, and with the treasures there taken built the fort of 
Eaighur. Soon after he took Surghur and Purundar, and in 
1659, when the Beejapore Government attempted to seize him 
at Pertabghur, he successfully baffled them by the treacher- 
ous murder of their general, Afzul Khan, whom, whilst pre- 
tending to embrace, he ripped open with steel-hooks — " tiger- 
claws " — secreted in his left hand, and then dispatched him 
with the dagger which he held in his right. He next became 
master of Kalian and the greater part of the Concan. 

When the King of Beejapore sent messengers to Sivajee 
requiring him to submit, he proudly answered, " What su- 
periority has your master gained over me, that 1 should con- 
sent to your mission? Begone speedily, lest I disgrace you!" 

Adventurous Hindoos joined his standard from all parts 
of the Deccan and the Concan, and his plundering bands of 
wild horsemen became the terror of the inhabitants. 

When Aurungzebe, who had been appointed viceroy of the 
Deccan by his father. Shah Jehan, began to meditate treason, 
he saw in Sivajee one who could assist him in his unscrupu- 
lous projects. He encouraged him to attack the kingdom of 
Beejapore, and made over two or three forts to him to assist 
his plans. When, later on, he was preparing to march to- 
wards Agra, to dethrone his father, he sent to Sivajee re- 
questing him to join him. But Sivajee treated the prince's 
messenger with indignity, drove him from his presence, and 
ordered the missive he had brought to be tied to the tail of a 
dog. 

He next turned his arms on Surat, took the city by coup de 
mam, and plundered it for six days. He was content with 
the spoil of the Mussulman merchants, and, as the city was 
overflowing with the gold of Persia and Arabia, he left the 
Dutch and English factories unmolested. Aurungzebe was 
so delighted with the successful resistance of the English, 
that to show his gratitude and admiration, he conceded fresh 
privileges to the East India Company. After this Sivajee 
submitted to Aurungzebe and distinguished himself in his 
service in the invasion of Beejapore. But Aurungzebe never 



58 IKDIA AHD HER NEIGHBORS. 

forgave him his former insolence and defiance, and always 
spoke of him as "the mountain rat." His son Sumbajee be- 
came a commander of 500 horse in the Mogul army. In 1666 
Sivajee visited Delhi. He was coldly received by Aurungzebe 
and placed among the inferior omrahs, who at a considerable 
distance surrounded the throne of the Great Mogul. It is 
said that the proud Mahratta shed tears of rage and indig- 
nation at this premeditated insult, and hurled threats and 
defiance at "the conqueror of the world." Tradition adds 
that a daughter of Aurungzebe, looking through a grated 
window into the hall of reception, was so struck by the bold 
and undaunted indignation of the Mahratta, that her plead- 
ings and intercession moved the heart of her imperious and 
relentless parent to mercy. Sivajee escaped from Delhi and 
rapidly regained his own dominion. In 1668 both G-olconda 
and Beejapore jDaid him tribute. In 1676 he invaded the 
Oarnatic, and on returning to Eaighur died there in 1680. 
" Born in a fort, his greatness rose from his forts, and in a 
fort he died." He was fifty- three years old at the time of his 
death. "He was a great captain," said Aurungzebe, on hear- 
ing that his old enemy was no more; " and the only man 
who has had the power to raise a new kingdom, whilst I have 
been endeavoring to destroy the ancient sovereignties of In- 
dia." Sivajee is one of the greatest princes of Hindoo his- 
tory. Nearly the same age as Aurungzebe, his character had 
many points of similarity with that of the Great Mogul. 
Both were energetic, crafty and ambitious. Aurungzebe was 
a Mahommedan bigot, Sivajee was mild and merciful. A 
devoted worshipper of Brama, he seemed to retaliate on the 
Moslems the cruel persecution they had inflicted on his race. 
He styled himself the " Champion of the Gods," and made 
it his special boast that he protected ^^ Brahmins, kine and 
cultivators." His daring in action, his craft in council, his 
lavish generosity, his strength, courage and activity, were the 
glory and admiration of his race, and long after his death it 
was the proudest boast of a Mahratta soldier to have seen 
Sivajee charge hand to hand. Sivajee left immense wealth, 
and at his death was absolute sovereign of a large territory in 
the Deccan. In the distant south he possessed the district 
of Tan j ore, equal in extent to many native sovereignties. 

The latter years of Aurungzebe were full of great and well- 
merited anxieties. His children, one after the other, turned 
against him, and always found in the Mahrattas and Rajpoots 



INDIA AITD HEE KEIGHBORS. 59 

allies able and willing to support them. His fourth son, 
Akbar, had formed an alliance with Sumbajee, the son of 
Sivajee, and his banner frequently flaunted side by side with 
that of the Mahratta, on the hard-fought fields of the Dec- 
can. The rebellion of the Deccan was now general. The 
kings of Beejapore and Golconda united with other Deccanee 
princes, and, directed by Sumbajee, formed a powerful league 
against the advancing power of the Mogul. Everywhere 
Aurungzebe's arms were victorious; but it was only for a 
time. The kings of Golconda and Beejapore submitted; his 
son Akbar fled in an English ship, whilst Sumbajee, in a state 
of intoxication, was betrayed into the hands of the Mogul. 
He was blinded with a red-hot iron, had his tongue torn out, 
and was beheaded. His minister Kulushi shared a like cruel 
fate. The King of G-olconda was publicly scourged, to extort 
confession of his wealth, and the monarch of Beejapore was 
paraded in silver chains before the conqueror. Sumbajee was 
succeeded by his son Sackojee, aged six, known in history as 
Saho, or "thief," a nickname given him by Aurungzebe. 
He was kept prisoner, and Ram Eaja, his uncle, assumed the 
leadership of the Mahrattas. In 1700 Aurungzebe took 
Satara, and Ram Raja dying in the same year, his widow Tara 
Bhye assumed the command of the Mahrattas in their strife 
with the Moguls. On Aurungzebe's death (1707) Sackojee 
was released, the sword of Sivajee and territory of Satara 
were restored to him, and a grant of a percentage of the reve- 
nues of the Mahratta country, on the condition of his main- 
taining tranquillity. At this time, also, the famous Nizam- 
ul-Mulk, the founder of the dynasty of the Nizams of Hy- 
derabad, was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan by Shah Alam 
I. Sackojee appointed Balajee Kishwanath, a Brahmin, his 
prime minister, or peishwa, and from this time the Brahmin 
peishwas were the real head of the Mahratta confederacy. In 
1718 Sackojee sent an army to assist the Seyud faction in 
Delhi, with the history of which city, until 1803, the Mah- 
rattas are henceforth closely connected. 

When ISTizam-ul-Mulk, Viceroy of the Deccan, died, in 
1748, his son, Mizafi&r Jung, should have succeeded him; but 
Nasir Jung, the second son, seized his father's treasures, and, 
having bought over the army, proclaimed himself subhadar 
of the Deccan. 

Nasir Jung and Mohommed Ali, ISTawab of the Oarnatic, 
were supported by the English, under Lawrence; but the 



60 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

character of these princes was so disgusting to the English, 
that we abandoned their cause, and the French, under Bussy, 
defeated Mahommed Ali and Nasir Jung at Ouddalore. Nasir 
Jung was shot by the Nawab of Ouddalore in 1750. Muzaffir 
Jung, the elder son of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, was then pro- 
claimed subhadar of the Deccan, but his triumph was of 
short duration, for he was assassinated by the Nawab of Kur- 
nul in 1751. His younger brother, Salabat Jung, was in- 
stalled at Aurungabad as subhadar of the Deccan by Bussy, 
and the French rule was gradually extending over the fair 
fields of the South. It was, indeed, only with the greatest 
difficulty that the English maintained their position in 
Madras. 

The great Peishwa, Bajee Eao the first, died, leaving a son, 
Balajee Bajee Eao, or Nana Sahib, as he was commonly called 
amongst his country people, who succeeded his father, but 
not without considerable opposition, for the ascendancy of 
the Brahmin Peishwas had always been viewed with jealousy 
by almost all the Mahratta chiefs of diffeirent lineage. In 
1749, the long reign of Saho, the Mahratta Eaja, the grand- 
son of Sivajee, the prisoner and protege of Aurungzebe, the 
patron of three generations of Brahmin Peishwas, came to an 
end. Having no son to succeed him, he was disposed to 
adopt his relative and old enemy, the Eaja of Kolapore, but 
the same absence of heirs in the case of the Eaja seemed a 
strong objection to his nomination. Some attempt was made 
to substitute a remote descendant of Wittojee, the great uncle 
of the hero of the Deccan, but Tara Bhye, the widow of Earn 
Eaja Sivajee's son, declared that after the death of her son, 
Sivajee the Second, she had concealed a posthumous son of 
]n's, and she now demanded that this alleged grandchild 
phould be recognized as the prospective sovereign of the 
Mahrattas, under the title of Eam Eaja II. Saho's wife, who 
tlius saw herself robbed of the power she had anticipated, as 
regent during the minority of the remoter candidate, was de- 
termined not to abandon the game without a struggle. Bala- 
jee, the new Peishwa, mistrusted both ladies; but the dislike 
that prevailed against the Brahmin ascendancy rendered it 
almost impossible that he should follow his inclination, sup- 
press the Eajaship altogether, and proclaim himself head of 
the State. He managed both the rivals, however, with con- 
siderable craft, and contrived so that Sukwar Bhye, on the 
death of the Eaja, felt compelled to carry out her avowed in- 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 61 

tention of suttee. A deed had been executed by the dying 
Eaja, empowering Balajee to *' manage thewliole government 
of the Mahratta Empire, on condition of his perpetuating the 
Eaja's name, and keeping up the dignity of the house of 
Sivajee, through the grandson of Tara Bhye and his de- 
scendants."* Tara Bhye watched all these arrangements 
with a jealous and disapproving eye, and determined to bide 
her time. Apparently absorbed in the cares and education 
of the young Raja, who lived at Satara, she never ceased to 
scheme for the overthrow of Balajee's power. 

He now marched against Salabat, Viceroy of the Deccan, 
but his expedition came to a sudden end. News reached him 
that Tara Bhye had retired into the fort, and after in vain 
endeavoring to persuade her grandson to throw off the yoke 
of the Peishwa, had turned upon the miserable youth with 
fierce invective, railing at him as an impostor and a changling, 
whilst he ordered the old orthodox Mahratta troops, by whom 
she was surrounded, to fire on the Eaja's people. She invited 
Dunnajee Guikwar to join her in ridding the capital of the 
Brahmin clique, and turned the guns of the fort upon the 
town, which was occupied by the Peishwa's troops. But the 
Guikwar shortly afterwards fell into Balajee's hands, and 
Tara Bhye was left to defy the Peishwa alone. This she con- 
tinued to do, and, aware of the jealousy with which he was 
regarded, Balajoe was afraid to proceed to extremities with 
her. Her energy, her ability, her prestige with the people, 
all made her a dangerous enemy, and after a time terms were 
agreed upon between them. She retained possession of the 
fort of Satara, and of the Raja's person and establishment, 
whilst the Guikwar was bound to yield permanently half the 
revenues of Guzerat to the victorious Balajee. Balajee now 
turned his arms once more against Salabat, who was forced to 
cede territory between the Taptee and the Godavery to the 
Peishwa, whose army twice, within a short time, overspread 
the Oarnatic, and established the Mahratta supremacy in the 
Deccan. 

From the fall of Beejanuggur in 1565 until 1761, a Hindoo 
dynasty had reigned in Mysore until Hyder AH, the success- 
ful adventurer, general, and minister, deposed his master and 
usurped his throne. In 1766 he invaded Malabar and took 
Calicut. The English, the Mahrattas, and the Nizam formed 
an alliance against him, but the Nizam went over to Hyder, 

* Major Grant Duflf. 



62 IlfDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 

and the Mahrattas took to plundering, and thus the first My- 
sore war ended in the discreditable peace of Madras, 1769. 
In 1778 Hyder Ali, the Nizam, and the Mahrattas were all 
united against the English. The Carnatic was desolated, and 
so critical had the position become in Madras, that a mes- 
sage was sent to Warren Hastings at Calcutta for assistance. 
Sir Eyre Coote presently coming to the aid of the English, 
Hyder Ali was defeated, and, dying shortly afterwards, was 
succeeded by his son Tippoo. The second Mysore war was 
ended by the treaty of Mangalore* 1784. The third Mysore 
war gave us the half of Tippoo's dominions, which we shared 
with our allies. The siege of Seringapatam and the death of 
Tippoo in 1799 concluded the fourth war, after which the 
ancient Hindoo dynasty was restored to a limited sway, and 
the family of Tippoo peiisioned off by Government. 

Balajee, after the battle of Paniput, sickened and died. 
He was succeeded by his second son, Madu Rao, appointed to 
the office of Peishwa by the reputed descendant of Sivajee, 
Ram Raja, of Satara. He was succeeded by his younger 
brother, Narayana Rao, who was almost immediately mur- 
dered by his uncle, Ragoba. Ragoba, in 1773, assumed the 
dignity of Peishwa liimself. In 1776 the representative of 
Narayana Rao's posthumous son, Madu Rao Narayana (be- 
lieved by some writers to be a supposititious child), signed 
with Warren Hastings the Treaty of Purhandur. The sev- 
enth and last Peishwa, Ragoba's son, the odious Bajee Rao, 
was born in 1774. The captive of Sartara-, Ram Raja, died 
in 1777, and was succeeded by an adopted son, known as Saho 
II.' The mother of Madu Rao poisoned herself, and in 1795 
Madu himself committed suicide. Bajee Rao II. now filled 
the office of Peishwa. The whole Mahratta Confederation 
was in a state of disruption, and, in 1802, after Holkar had 
seized Poona, the Peishwa fled for protection to British arms, 
and signed the Treaty of Bassein, which gave the British the 
Malabar coast and the command of the Indian Ocean, and 
by which the once redoubtable Mahratta Confederation was 
virtually brought to an end. This was the result of the first 
Mahratta war. The second Mahratta war ended in the vic- 
tories of Sir Arthur Wellesley at Assaye and Argaum, in the 
Deccan, against Scindia and the Rajah of Berar; and by Lord 
Lake at Delhi, where he defeated Scindia's brigades, trained 
by French officers, when he restored Shah Alam to the throne; 
and subsequently he crushed, at the obstinately-contested field 



iKDiA AND HER NEIGHBOES. 63 

of Laswarree, Scindia's remaining battalions. And in the 
third Mahratta war, in 1804-5, Lake drove Holkar, the only 
remaining unbroken Mahratta power, in headlong flight, after 
the loss of his guns at Deeg, into the Punjab, and established 
the British as the paramount power in India. Bajee Eao II., 
the great-grandson of the first Peishwa, was the last who filled 
that great office, which "with him, after lasting 100 years, 
finally terminated. He was an unworthy descendant of the 
great men who had been his predecessors. He was distin- 
guished, even in the Eastern world, by dissimulation and de- 
bauchery of the lowest kind. So cowardly that he fled be- 
fore his enemies like a hunted hare, he was the tool and will- 
ing instrument of the basest of ministers, Trimbukjeet Dain- 
glia, at whose instigation he is supposed to have caused the 
assassination of the able and upright Gunga Dhur Shastree, 
the Minister of the Guikwar, then on a special mission to his 
court; this being only one amongst many of the crimes he 
committed under the influence of his profligate favorites. 
The only redeeming quality he appears to have had was some 
consideration for the fortunes of those who had adhered to 
him in his reverses. When he assented to deposition, and re- 
signed himself a captive to our hands, he stipulated as a con- 
dition that his faithful followers should be cared for. 

He surrendered in 1818 to Sir John Malcolm, who, to the 
astonishment of all acquainted with Indian affairs, guaran- 
teed him an annual pension of eight lakhs of rupees or £80,- 
000 per annum. Having no children, Bajee Eao II. adopted 
a son who was to succeed to his vast wealth, but not to the 
pension or title of Peishwa. This young man, described at 
the time of Bajee Rao's death as '^ quiet and unostentatious, 
not at all addicted to any extravagant habits, and invariably 
■showing a. ready disposition to attend to the advice of the 
British Commissioner," was none other than the infamous 
Dundoo Punt, better known as Nana Sahib. Resentment 
against the British Government, for disallowing his claim to 
succeed to the Peishwa's titles and pension, as well as to his 
private fortune, amounting to £280,000, seems to have in- 
spired him with a revengeful bitterness that only bided its 
time to blaze forth in unrelenting fury, and when the an- 
nexation of Oude under Lord Dalhousie gave a plausible pre- 
text for resentment, it is said that princes and native chiefs, 
who had hitherto held back, now responded to his appeals, 
and swore to further him in his projects of revenge.* 

* Sir John Kaye's " History of the Sepoy War." 



64 IN"DIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

The History of the Indian Mutiny * needs no repetition 
here. The Nana was proclaimed Peishwa by the rebel 
Gwalior contingent and others. After passing through many 
vicissitudes and losing every battle, the blood-stained and 
perjured slaughterer of inHocent women and children fled to 
Bithoor, attended by a few horsemen, "and as he rode 
through Oawnpore his horse fleoked with foam, he might 
have met the public criers proclaiming that the Feringhees 
had been well nigh exterminated, and offering rewards for 
the heads of the few who were still left upon the face of the 
earth. But the lie had exploded, and his one thought of that 
moment was escape from the pursuing Englishman. Arrived 
at Bithoor, he saw clearly that the game was up, his followers 
were fast desei'ting him. Many, it is said, reproached him 
for his failure. All, we may be sure, clamored for pay. His 
terror-stricken imagination pictured a vast avenging army on 
his track; and the great instinct of self-preservation prompted 
him to gather up the women of his family, to embark by 
night in a boat, to ascend the Ganges to Futtehgurh, and to 
give out that he was preparing himself for self-immolation. 
He was to consign himself to the sacred waters of the Ganges, 
which had been the grave of so many of his victims. There 
was to be a given signal through the darkness of the early 
night, which was to mark the moment of the Ex-Peishwa's 
suicidal immersion. But he had no thought of dying. The 
signal light was extinguished, and a cry arose from the re- 
ligious mendicants who were assembled on the Cawnpore bank 
of the river, and who believed that the Nana was dead. But 
covered by the darkness, he emerged upon the Oude side of 
the Ganges, and his escape was safely accomplished. " f The 
holy men proceeded without delay to plunder the palace of 
their quondam benefactor. ■' 

Thus vanished from the scene, like a baneful, meteor, the 
guilty shadow of the once renowned and imperial Peishwas. ' 

* Meadows Taylor's "Manual of Indian History." t Kaye's " Sepoy War." 



IKDIA AND HER iq^EIGHBORS. 65 



CHAPTER XL 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEK OF IIsTDIA. 

Princess of Scinde — Beautiful Sultana Kezia of Delhi — Hindoo Queen 
of Gurrah — A Sultana Regent — ^Mother of Sivajee. 

Before describing the origin and progress *t)f British rule 
in India, a few words on the women of that country, who, 
by their beauty, ability, and courage, haye powerfully affected 
its history, may not be uninteresting. 

Accustomed as we have been to regard all Eastern women 
as both mentally and morally inferior, and accepting broadly 
the fact of their imperfect education, subordinate position, 
and secluded lives, it is with a feeling of surprise akin to ad- 
miration that we recognize the startling influence exercised 
by women on the fate of the Eastern world — an influence not 
to be attributed, to mere personal charms alone, nor to the 
infatuation of a besotted passion, which any given sovereign 
may have felt for this or that favorite of the harem, but con- 
spicuously due (in combination with beauty) to ability, 
energy, craft, perseverance and ambition on the part of those 
who have come prominently to the front in the history of 
India. The seclusion of high-caste Hindoo women was proba- 
bly not so strict in earlier ages as at present, but that their 
separation from the outer world was considered both desira- 
ble and expedient there can be no doubt. The wife was en- 
joined to give her entire devotion and obedience to her hus- 
band; she was to lead a life of seclusion, and to keep herself 
from contact with the world. Men were told to honor the 
women of their family, lest " it wholly perish;" and it is 
added that whereas, in families where the women are not held 
in honor, " all religious acts become fruitless," in those, on 
the other hand, ''where a husband is contented with his 
wife, and she with her husband, will fortune assuredly be 
permanent."* 

* Colebrooke's Asiatic Researches. 



66 IN'DIA AND HEK KEIGHBOES. 

It would almost seem as though the general subjection of 
women had been more than counterbalanced by their individ- 
ual supremacy in those countries where the very title of 
" Sultana" sounds, m Western ears, nearly synonymous with 
that of a toy; a beautiful, soulless, graceful creature, helpless 
and useless, meant to be, and sent to be, simply and solely, 
^' a moment's ornament." Too childish for companionship, 
too ignorant for opposition, too helpless for self-dependence, 
the Moslem faith instils the inferiority of the female sex as an 
article of religion. " Women," it says, " are only superior in 
craft and cunning." They are not allowed to read the holy 
books — they are not permitted to eat with their husbands — 
they are debarred from inheriting paternal property. Seclu- 
sion is their poPfcion and ignorance their fate. 

The history of the remarkable women of India has yet to be 
written, but a brief glance at some of the more prominent 
female figures who have illustrated Eastern story by their 
charms, courage and devotion, may not be without interest to 
the reader. It will, at any rate, go far to show that the 
^* coming woman," the capable, enduring, heroic, high-souled 
woman, determined, skilful, dominant and jDredominating, is 
not so entirely a product of the West, or a dream of the 
future, as some of the subjugators of the sex would have us 
believe. 

The Princess of Scinde. — Of the extraordinary resolution 
shown by Indian women, we have a striking example as early 
as 711 A.D., in the conquest of Scinde by the Arabs. 

Amongst the numerous female cajDtives of Scinde were two 
beautiful princesses, who were reserved for the^harem of the 
Commander of the Faithful, Walid, the sixth caliph of the 
house of Ommeia. When the elder was introduced to her 
future lord, she burst into a flood of tears, and declared that 
she was now unworthy of his notice, having been already dis- 
honored by his nephew, Casim, before she was sent out of her 
country. Enraged at the insult offered to him by his infe- 
rior, and mflamed by the sight of her beauty and distress, 
the caliph sent orders that Oasim should be sewed up in a 
raw hide and sent to Damascus. When he produced the 
body to the princess, she was so overjoyed at the sight, that 
she exultingly declared Oasim had been innocent, but that 
she had now avenged her father's death, and the ruin of her 
family! This heroic lady and her sister met with a cruel and 
ignominious death. * 

♦ Briggs' -fe/'is^to / Pottinger's "Travels." 



INDIA AN^D HER KEIGHBOES. 67 

The teautiful Sultana Rezia ascended the Imperial mus- 
nud at Delhi on the deposition of her brother in 1236. 
'^Eezia Begum," says Ferishta, ^^was endowed with every 
princely virtue, and those who scrutinize her actions most 
severely will find it to be in her no fault that she was a 
woman."* 

Not only was she beautiful as the day, but her energy, am- 
bition, and judgment were such, that twice during the life- 
time of her father, Altamish, he entrusted his kingdom to 
her care. ^' The burden of power," he said to his omrahs, 
when he appointed her as regent, during his absence on his 
southern campaigns, " is too heavy for my sons, even though 
I had twenty such, but not too heavy for Eezia, delicate 
though her body may be, she has in her morespirit than all 
of her brothers put together." 

The fair sultana, on ascending the throne, daily gave audi- 
ence, habited as a sultan. " She discarded her female apparel 
and veil, wore a tunic and cap like a man, gave public audi- 
ence, and rode on an elephant without any attempt at con- 
cealment."! She reformed abuses, revised the laws, and ful- 
filled the enthusiastic predictions of her nobles and her peo- 
ple. But, unfortunately, her great ability did not shield her 
from weakness, and by the elevation to power of an Abys- 
sinian slave she roused the jealousy and excited the indigna- 
tion of her nobles. 

In the rebellion that ensued her favorite w^as killed, but 
Eezia, who saw her cause to be desperate, managed to fasci- 
nate by love or ambition one of the rebel chiefs, who married 
her, and joined his forces with hers against his former asso- 
ciates. After two bloody battles she was made prisoner, along 
with her husband, and both were put| to death. 

'^ With a look," said her grand vizier, "she could revive 
her dying friends, or render helpless her most powerful foes." 
Yet her charms had no weight against the vindictive fury of 
lier rebellious nobles, who slew her without remorse, after a 
reign of three years and six months. 

The story of Pudmani the Beautiful, at the siege of Ohee- 
tore, under Alia the Sanguinary (a.d. 1300), has been told in 
another chapter. § It affords a touching illustration of that 
high Eajpoot courage and devotion which inspired even the 

* Briggs' FerisMa. + Sir Henry Elliott's Historians. % Elphinstone's " History 
of India." § See Chapter on Rajpootana. 



68 IKDIA AI^D HER l^EIGHBORS. 

women and children of this fearless race with heroism, and 
enabled them to brave death rather than incur dishonor. 

The "johur," or the ordeal of death, far from intimi- 
dating them, was welcomed as the means of reuniting hus- 
bands and wives, fathers and children, and conducting to the 
warrior's paradise the woman who had loved her warlike lord. 
Many utterances of heroic Rajpoot wives and widows adorn 
the records of Eastern courage. ^'Tell me, Badul," cr'ed 
the wife of Gorah, one of the defenders of Cheetore, uncle 
of the beautiful Pudmani, **tell me, how did my love be- 
have?" 

"Oh, mother," replied the boy, "how further describe 
his deeds when he left no foes to dread or admire him?" 

"My lord will chide my delay," exclaimed the high-souled 
woman, as waving a fond and smiling farewell to the strip- 
ling, she sprang into the devouring flames of the funeral pile 
awaiting her. * 

During Akbar's invasion of the Deccan more than one 
startling proof of the heroism of its women was brought home 
to him. The revolted Bahadoor Kahn^ Sultan of Guzerat, 
having fallen, into the hands of the Moguls (1560) his mis- 
tress, said to be one of the most beautiful women ever seen 
in India, became the property of a Mogul chief renowned for 
his fierce and cruel nature. Finding resistance to be unavail- 
ing, she appointed an hour to receive him. Her attendants 
adorned her with her most splendid jewels, dressed her in 
magnificent attire, sj^rinkled her couch with perfumes, and 
left her to receive her conqueror in state. Drawing a mantle 
over her face, she lay down to rest, and it was only when her 
attendants approached to warn her of the presence of her 
future lord, that they discovered the gentle slumber she had 
feigned was the last long sleep of death. 

The Hindoo queen Diirghetti, who reigned over the small 
territory of Gurrah, is another woman famed in the history 
of the Deccan for her beauty and accomplishments, her hero- 
ism and constancy. Ten sovereigns of her race had already 
reigned in succession over the fertile and prosperous district 
which was hers by inheritance. . Bent upon developing the 
resources of, her happy little state and increasing the pros- 
perity of her people, the spirited Hindoo queen turned all her 
attention and energy to those ends. Aseph Jah, one of 
Akbar's generals,, determined to overthrow her power and 

* Sullivan. 



IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 69 

conquer for his master her smiling territory. Without a 
n oment's hesitation the queen called together her peaceful 
and peace-loving subjects. They responded to her appeal 
with ready deyotion, and, burning with indignant enthusi- 
asm, she placed herself at the head of her troops. A helmet 
on her head, a quiyer at her side, a lance in her hand, she 
advanced to meet the invading Mogul. Perceiving that her 
troops, new to the art of warfare, were advancing upon the 
enemy in disorder, she sounded a recall, re-formed and ha- 
rangued them, telling them that they were to wait for a sig- 
nal from the royal elephant, on which she was herself seated, 
before advancing. Surprised by this unexpected resistance, 
the Moguls were driven back, and left 600 dead upon the 
field. Dut Durghetti's nobles refused to carry out her tactics 
and follow up their advantage by a night attack upon the dis- 
comfited troops of Aseph Jah, and when on the following day 
he renewed the engagement with fresh reinforcements, they 
fled in confusion, leaving guns and arms in the hands of the 
enemy. The courageous queen, supported by four of her 
chieftains, bore the brunt of the battle, holding out valiantly 
after all hope was at an end. Her friends implored her to fly 
— her son fell at her side, pierced through the eye by an 
arrow — the princess, deserted by her troops, was in imminent 
danger of falling into the enemy's hands. Turning to* the 
chief officer of her household, "Haste!" she cried, "let your 
dagger save me from the crime of putting an end to my own 
existence! We are overcome in war, but we need not be van- 
quished in honor!" Her faithful servant had not, however, 
the courage to fulfil this her last request, and, seeing that her 
exhortation could not prevail over his affection, she snatched 
the dagger from his side, " and satisfied the immortal long- 
ings of her soul."* 

Cliand Sultana is one of the most distinguished women 
that have ever appeared in India. She was acting as regent 
for her infant nephew, Bahadur Mizam Shah, of Ahmed- 
nuggur, and she was no sooner aware of the approach of the 
Moguls (under Akbar about 1595) than she applied herself to 
conciliate the King of Beejapoor, her relation, and at the same 
time to reconcile the heads of other interested j)arties, that 
all might be united to resist the power whose ambition 
threatened equal danger to all. Her defence of Ahmednug- 
ger is famous in history. She superintended the workmen and 

* Sullivan, Elphinstone, and others. 



70 INDIA AI^D HER NEIGHBORS. 

directed the mining and trench-work, exposing herself to the 
same dangers as the rest. Two mines had already been ren- 
dered useless by her counter-mines, but unfortunately before 
means could be taken to render it ineffectual, a third mine 
was fired, the counter-mines blown up, and a large breach 
made in the wall, by which such a panic was created, that the 
besieged were on the point of deserting their posts and leav- 
ing the breach open to the advance of the storming party. 
But Chand Sultana, with a naked sword in her hand, clad in 
complete armor, a veil over her face, sprang into the breach, 
and, having thus, rallied her troops, she continued her exer- 
tions until every power within the place was brought against 
the assaulting Moguls. Matchlock balls and arrows poured 
on them from the works — guns were brought to bear upon the 
breach — rockets, gunpowder, and other combustibles were 
thrown amongst the crowd in the ditch, and the garrison in 
front opposed so steady a resistance, that, after an obstinate 
and bloody contest, the Moguls were obliged to withdraw. 
The activity and energy of the regent were not slackened 
during the night, and the Moguls, finding next day that the 
breach was built up to such a height as to render it impossi- 
ble to mount it without fresh mines, a truce was agreed upon 
on both sides. Mahommed Khan, whom Chand Sultana had 
appointed her Prime Minister, plotted against her; her 
government became more and more disturbed by internal fac- 
tions, and whilst she was negotiating a peace with the Moguls, 
the soldiery, instigated by her opponents, broke into the fe- 
male apartments and treacherously put her to death. 

Chand Sultana is the favorite heroine of the Deccan, and is 
the subject of many fabulous stories. Even Khafi Khan 
mentions her having fired silver balls into the Mogul camp, 
and the common tradition at Ahmednugger is that when her 
shot was expended she loaded her guns successively with cop- 
per, with silver, and with gold coin, and that it was not 
until she had begun to fire her jewels away that she consented 
to make peace. 

The history of Tara Bhye, given at page 60, is another 
proof of the ambition, ability and energy of Indian women, 
whilst that of the mother of Sivajee, the j)opular hero of the 
Deccan (born 1627), deserves mention. She was of good 
family, and a woman of so much ability and character that 
during his father's absence in the Carnatic, Sivajee was left 
to the care of his mother and of his father's agent, a Brahmin. 



WDIA AKI) HEK KEIGHBOE^. 71 

He appears from the first to have looked to her for counsel 
and sympathy in all his undertakings, his great object in life 
being to free himself from Mahommedan control. His tutor 
and guardian, Dadajee Konedeo, at first endeavored to dis- 
suade the youth from his wild undertakings, but, failing to do 
so, he appears to have succumbed to the force of Sivajee's 
character, and to have come at last to share his views. 

^ His mother, an enthusiast in religion, believed herself to be 
visited by the goddess Bowhanee, whose revelations shadowed 
forth the future freedom of the'Mahrattas from Mahommedan 
yoke, and the future greatness of her son. Later on, when 
his fame became estabhshed, no one doubted but that his 
mother's dreams and visions,, which had become popular 
amongst his people, were in reality the divine revelations they 
pretended to be. He remained devoted to his mother, 
claimed her blessing on all his undertakings, however question- 
able, and never ceased to pay her every honor that affection 
and respect could dictate. 



73 INDIA AKD HEE NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE EEMARKABLE WOMBK OF IKDIA. — continued. 

Noormahal,* Consort of Shah Jehaugire — Arjamund Banu,f (of the 
Taj), Consort of Shah Jehan — The Emperor's Daughters. 

Noormahal. — No more extraordinary example of the 
triumph of beauty and ability over precedent, tradition, and 
every prejudice, religious as well as social, exists, than that 
of Noormahal, the light of the harem, who for twenty years 
—as the wife of Jehangire — reigned with a power as absolute 
over the mighty empire of Hindustan as that exercised by 
Semiramis and Cleopatra over the kingdoms of Assyria and 
Egypt. 

Her father, Chaja Aiass, a Tartar of noble blood but poor 
circumstances, became later the High Treasurer of the Empire 
of Hindustan; but his daughter, Noormahal, was born in the 
days of his adversity, amongst the wilds of Western Tartary, 
as her parents were wandering, in search of fortune, towards 
India. The beautiful Noormahal frequently accompanied her 
mother to the harem of Akbar, and here Prince Selim, heir 
to the throne, saw and loved her. He demanded her hand 
of her father, who replied that his daughter was promised to 
Sbere Afkun, a young Persian lord. Noormahal, who ap- 
pears to have been of a practical turn of mind, thought it 
wiser to take the' magnificent Shore Afkun than to incur the 
danger of mating with the future emperor. The Emperor 
Akbar absolutely refused to interfere or annul the engage- 
ment, and Shore Afkun was determined not to renounce his 
I'ight — even for the heir to the crown — to the most beautiful 
woman in the world. 

When Akbar died, and Selim ascended the imperial mus- 
nud, under the name of Jehanghire, Shore Afkun was soon 
lemoved to a happier sphere, and the lovely Noormahal trans- 
ferred to the Zenana of the emperor. 

* Afterwards Noorjehan. t Or Mumtazmahal. 



IKDIA AlSTD HER KEIGHBORS. 73 

For some reason whicli does not appear, she remained six 
years in absolute seclusion; but the talk of her wit and 
beauty which reached the emperor's ears at length deter- 
mined him on visiting her. He found her in a plain muslin 
dress, surrounded by slaves dressed in the finest brocades and 
cashmeres. She had learned the charm and modesty during 
the period of her retirement; and, with downcast eyes, she 
stood before the emperor in all the unadorned simplicity of 
her dazzling beauty. The first question he asked her was 
v>"hy her slaves were dressed so much better than their mis- 
tress? to which the cunning Noormahal shrewdly made an- 
swer: " Those born to servitude must dress as it shall please 
those whom they serve. These are my slaves, and I make 
the burden of their bondage pleasant to them by every indul- 
gence in my power. But I am your slave, oh. Emperor of the 
World! and must dress according to your pleasure, and not 
my own." Casting a necklace round her neck of forty pearls, 
each worth £4,000, Jehangire ordered the clever intrigante 
to be proclaimed Empress of the World. From the humblest 
apartments of the Zenana she at once removed to those of 
the Sultana. She was permitted to assume the title of Shahi, 
or Empress; to change her name from Noormahal, Light of 
the Harem, to JSToor-Jehan, Light of the World; whilst the 
besotted monarch caused to be inscribed on the gold coin of 
the realm: " Gold has acquired a hundred degrees of excel- 
lence in receiving the name of Noor- Jehan. " He was then 
forty-four years of age. Like another famous Eastern Queen, 
" age could not wither her, nor custom stale her infinite va- 
riety," and for twenty j^ears her magnificence dazzled Hindus- 
tan. It was she who gave away the smallest as well as the 
greatest official appointments. From Western Tartary came 
crowds of cousins to share in the brilliant fortunes of the 
superb empress. Her father was Prime Vizier; her brother, 
Asiph Khan, was first Omrah; Shah Jehan, the emperor's 
favorite son, married her niece, the daughter of Asiph Khan; 
whilst Prince Sheriar, Jehan ghire's third son, married her 
own daughter by her first husband, the luckless Shere Afkun. 

Led by her, Jehangire was induced to ill-treat and mistrust 
Mohabit Khan, to whom he had been thrice indebted for the 
safety of his kingdom; and in return Mohabit, by a coup-de- 
main, seized the emperor and carried him off to his own 
camp. Noormahal escaped in disguise, and, calling her 
brother Asiph to her aid, mounted her elephant and prepared 



74 IKDIA AKD Sim KEIGHBOES. 

to rescue tlie emperor. Though her daughter was wounded 
in the fray and sank fainting at her side, this daring woman 
pursued her way, until at length her troops were overwhelmed 
and she was forced to fly to Lahore. Mohabit accused her 
of having planned her husband's death, and she was con- 
ducted by him before the emperor to make her defence. 
"You, who are Emperor of the Moguls," said Mohabit, ex- 
horting the infatuated monarch to throw off her dangerous 
influence, " ought to follow the example of God, who is no 
respecter of persons. " But the beautiful and specious Noor- 
mahal prevailed; and when the emperor, affected by the 
sight of her tears, appealed to Mohabit to spare her, the 
chivalrous soldier replied that the Emperor of the Moguls 
should never ask a favor of him in vain, and signed to the 
guards to relinquish their prisoner. Noormahal survived her 
husband eighteen years; but from the hour of his death 
she retired altogether from affairs of state, and closed her 
life amongst the gardens and palaces of the royal residence 
of Lahore. 

Arjamund Banu. — Although not distinguished by the 
craft and ability of her predecessor, Arjamund Banu, the 
heroine of the Taj Mahal, has been handed down to posterity 
by the story of her beauty and unbounded influence over the 
Emperor Shah Jehan. 

It was the custom in those days, as it is in our own, for 
ladies to hold fancy fairs, and to sell their merchandise to the 
liighest bidders. Shah Jehan, then a prince residing at his 
father's court at Agra, attended a bazaar where the emperor ^ 
had commanded that the nobles should give whatever price 
was asked for their wares by the fair stall-keepers. Prince 
Jehan, pausing before the booth of Arjamund Banu, the 
daughter of the Vizier Asiph Jah, and wife of Jemal Kahn, 
was so struck by her beauty and grace that when she asked 
him £12,500 for a piece of sugar-candy, cut in the shape of a 
diamond, the infatuated young man smilingly paid the fancy 
price demanded for her bon-bon by this enterprising sales- 
woman. He invited her to his palace; and when, after three 
(days' sejour with him, she returned to her husband, she felt 
much aggrieved that her lawful lord received her less warmly 
than she considered becoming. She immediately complained 
of her tyrant's fit of the sulks to Shah Jehan, who quickly 
found a remedy against the recurrence of such attacks of tem- 
per. He ordered him to the elephant garden, that he might 



IIsTDIA AHD HER NEIGHBORS. 75 

there be destroyed. Jemal Kahn, upon this unpleasant news^ 
hastened to the prince and humbly begged that he might be 
allowed to explain. Permission was graciously accorded, when 
he judiciously declared that his reserye had not proceeded 
from coldness, ^but from a sense of his un worthiness to take 
to his bosom the being who had been honored by the atten- 
tion of the son of the Great Mogul. A royal suit and the 
command of 5,000 horse was immediately bestowed upon the 
accommodating husband, and the lady was transported forth- 
with to the seraglio of the prince. She possessed, it is said by 
historians, the wit and beauty of her aunt, Noormahal, and 
the wisdom and integrity of her grandfather Aiass. She is 
spoken of as that virtuous woman who is proverbially a crown 
to her husband, whose only wife she remained during twenty 
years, and when she died the Taj Mahal at Agra, that exqui- 
site dream in marble, bore witness to the devotion and attach- 
ment which even her memory was still able to inspire. 

The daughters of Shah jehan. — The daughters of Shah 
Jehan were important actors in the scenes of his eventful 
reign. They were all three women of beauty, talents and 
accomplishments. Jehanara, the eldest, w^as remarkable alike 
for wit and beauty. Her devotion to her father knew no 
bounds; and he had so high an opinion of her judgment that 
his will became in many cases subservient to that of his lovely 
tyrant. Nevertheless, a terrible story of the summary venge- 
ance he wreaked upon a favored lover shows that affection 
did not altogether blind him to the possible effects of his 
daughter's somewhat too elastic morality. He paid her an 
unexpected visit; and, in the hurry and confusion occasioned 
by the inopportune attention, Jehanara could think of no 
better place wherein to conceal the contraband lover than in 
one of the huge cauldrons made to hold water for the bath. 
Then, after affectionately enquiring after her health, he in- 
sisted on the restoring and curative effects of hot water, and 
desired that fires should at once be made under the cauldrons, 
in order that she might without delay experience the agreea- 
ble results he described. Jehanara dared not resist; and, 
feigning unconsciousness of her agony, her father remained 
conversing cheerfully and affably with his miserable daugh- 
ter until a servant brought him word that the unhappy lover 
was boiled to death, when, without uttering a word of re- 
proach, he amiably took his departure. His second daugh- 
ter, Eanchenara Begum, was acute, artful, intriguing and 



'76 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

ambitious, and as devoted to Aurungzebe as Jehanara was to 
Prince Dara, her father's eldest son, and heir-presumptive. 
Later, when Dara had been defeated by Aurungzebe, and his 
wife and son placed with Jehanara under close restraint, it 
was the younger sister, Eairchenara Begum, who scented out'all 
the plots and intrigues at Court and confided them to Aurung- 
zebe. The gentleness of Suria Banu, the third daughter, 
kept her aloof from political intrigue and family dissension. 
Jehanara tenderly nursed her father through his last illness, 
and survived him many years. Her brother Aurungzebe was 
eventually reconciled to her; and amidst the ruin and desola- 
tion of the pearl mosque at Delhi may still be deciphered the 
last injunction of ''the perishable pilgrim," Jehanara Be- 
gum: " Let not any person desecrate my tomb with any other 
thing than earth or flowers, for these are fitted for the resting 
place of a Holy Spirit."* 

* SuUivaa, 



liSTDlA AND HER NEIGHBORS. ^"1 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEN OF T^J^lK^COntinued, 

Ahalya Bhye the Good, Queen of Indore— Tulse Bhye the Cruel, 

Regent of Indore. 

Ahalm Bhye, the Queen of Indore, or, the dominions of 
Holkar.—Ahalja. Bhye was the widow of the only son ot 
'Mnlhur Eao Holkar, the founder of the Holkar dynasty, and 
on the death of her only son, who died m early childhood, 
soon after the death of his grandfather, assumed, according 
to the custom of the Mahrattas, the administration of the 

country. „ , . j. xi • -n j. • 

The long, peaceful, and successful reign of this illustrious 
lady was at its commencement yehemently opposed by the 
intrigues and machinations of Bagonath Eao, the uncle of 
the then Peishwa, who endeayored to force upon the queen 
the adoption of a child whose future moyements might be 
subject to his guidance or that of his agents. 

This scheme was entirely frustrated by the wise conduct of 
the princess, aided by the determination of the chiefs of the 
Mahratta States, to uphold ^^the legitimate rights of the 
Vidow of Mulhar Rao's son."* 

In India, during the latter half of the eighteenth century, 
the power of the sword was supreme, and in nothing was the 
wisdom of the Ranee, Ahalya Bhye, more remarkable than m 
her choice of the commander of her troops. 

Tukajee Holkar, who was appointed to this high oflice, was 
not related to, although of the same tribe as, Mulhar Rao. 
He was of mature age, unambitious, of excellent character, 
possessing sound sense, but without brilliant quahties. 
Ahalya Bhye soon gaye Tukajee a large share m the general 
administration of the country, but whether he was near the 
capital or in the more distant proyinces. he seryed the Kanee 
with the utmost fidehty and respect during her long reign ot 
thirty years. 

* Malleson's " Native States of India." 



78 INDIA ANB HEE NEIGHBOKS. 

Her highness had representatives at most of the courts o^ 
India. The administration of justice was scrupulously at- 
tended to, the queen herself being at all times accessible and 
attending to the most insignificant cases when reference was 
made for her decision. The accounts of the State receipts 
and disbursements were kept with the most scrupulous 
exactitude. 

*' During thirty years of rule/' says Colonel Malleson, 
^' perhaps no prince or princess ever conciliated more respect 
from foreign sovereigns than did this illustrious Hindu lady. 
She was extremely pious, much given to devotion, yet she 
found time to attend to the important affairs of state." She 
transacted business from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 9 p.m. 
to 11 p.m. Her dominions were but once invaded, and then 
unsuccessfully, and the internal administration was equally 
fortunate, for nowhere were the people more happy or pros- 
perous. She built forts and made roads, and Indore, the 
present capital, she found a village and left a wealthy city. 

Fortunate, and held in the highest regard as a ruler, yet the 
loss of her children, under peculiarly painful circumstances, 
left on her life an impression of sadness which no success in 
public affairs could alleviate. 

Ahalya Bhye died in 1795 at the age of sixty, utterly 
exhausted by the cares of State. According to Sir John Mal- 
colm this famous lady " was of the middle stature and very 
thin; her complexion, which was of a dark olive, was clear; 
and her countenance is described as having been to the last 
hour of her life agreeable. She was very cheerful, seldom in 
anger, possessed a cultivated mind, was quick and clear in the 
transaction of public business, and even flattery appears to 
have been lost upon her." * 

Honored and held in reverence during life for her piety, 
virtues and good deeds, she died universally beloved and 
lamented. 

Tidsee Bhye, Regent of Indore. — Tulsee Bhye was beauti- 
ful, cruel and profligate, and met with a tragical end — a con- 
trast in every respect to Ahalya Bhye. 

She was the protege of a sectarian Brahmin, and would 
have been considered his daughter did not the vow of celibacy 
of the holy man forbid such a supposition. 

A Mahratta adventurer thought he might promote his own 
. interests through the influence of her beauty on Jeswunt Eao 

* Malleson's " Native States of India," and Sir John Malcolm's "Central India." 



IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 79 

Holkar, the Maharajah of Indore. The prince saw Tulsee 
Bhye, was at once captivated, and, notwithstanding that she 
was a married woman, had her at once placed in the harem, 
while the husband was sent to prison. Some lingering feel- 
ing induced her to entreat her spell-bound lord to liberate the 
unfortunate husband, who, on receiving a dress of honor, a 
horse, and a small sum of money, departed to seek his fort- 
unes elsewhere. The influence of this new ornament to the 
harem became supreme over the prince and the State, and 
continued until Holkar became insane, when she was ap- 
pointed regent, and, having no children, adopted a son of the 
Maharajah by another woman. The people bore with her 
cruel and abandoned conduct until at last, having executed 
her Prime Minister, an old, popular, and faithful servant of 
the State, and having appointed a worthless paramour to his 
high office, her power over the army became little more than 
nominal, and as she was suspected of intriguing with the 
English with a view to their protection, some of the leading- 
men in the State conspired against her. She was ruthlessly 
slain almost in the midst of her soldiers, but not a hand was 
raised to rescue her — beauty and appeals for mercy were una- 
vailing. Thus miserably ended the cruel and criminal career 
of the beautiful Tulsee Bhye. 

Tulsee Bhye was beheaded on December 20, 1817. Her 
accomplishments and character are thus described by Sir John 
Malcolm: *^ Tulsee Bhye," he writes, ^'^was not thirty years 
old when she was murdered. She was handsome, and alike 
remarkable for the fascination of her manners and quick- 
ness of intellect. Few surpassed her in fluent eloquence, 
which persuaded those who approached her to promote her 
wishes. She rode with grace, and was always, when on horse- 
back, attended by a large party of the females of the first 
families of the State. But there was never a more remark- 
able instance than in the history of this princess, how the 
most prodigal gifts of nature may be perverted by an indul- 
gence of vicious habits. Though not the wife of Jeswant 
Rao, yet being in charge of his family, and having possession 
of the child, who was declared his heir, she was obeyed as 
his widow. As the favorite of the deceased and the guardian 
of their actual chief, she had among the adherents of the 
Holkar family the strongest impressions in her favor, but 
casting all away, she lived unrespected and died unpitied."* 

* Malcolm's " Central India." 



80 mDIA AND HEE ii^EIGHBORS. 



CHAPTEE XIV. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEK OF IKDIA — continued. 

Begum Sumroo of Sirdhanah — Walter Reinhardt — Chief Officers — Col- 
onel le Vaisseau — George Thomas, a common sailor, afterwards a 
Rajah — Begum's Court — Adopted Son, Dyce-Sombre — Domestic 
Chaplain, Father Julius Caesar. 

The Begum Sumroo,* born about 1753, was the illegiti- 
mate daughter of a Mohammedan of Arab descent. She was 
also reported to have been a native of Cashmere, and to have 
been originally a dancing girl. On the death of her father 
she and her mother, in order to avoid the persecution of the 
legitimate heir, removed, in 1760, to Delhi. It is not cer- 
tain when she entered the family of Sumroo, nor even that 
she ever became his wife. This Sumroo was a native of 
Treve, in the duchy of Luxemburg, his real name Walter 
Eeinhardt, but more familiar to us by his Indian soubriquet 
of Sumroo or Sombre. He had come to India as a sailor, in 
the French navy, deserted to the British service, and joined 
the first European battalion raised in Bengal. Deserting 
again, he joined the French garrison at Chandernagore, and 
was one of the few who followed Law when that oflScer re- 
fused to surrender the place to the British. After the cap- 
ture of his gallant chief, Sumroo, under Meer Cassim, Nawab 
of Moorsedubad, advanced against the English, and by the 
IS^awab's orders on his arrival at Patna he put all the English 
prisoners to death. All, suspected of being friends of the 
English were assassinated, and Sumroo, firing volleys into the 
prisoners' rooms, about 200 British, including the resident 
and all his followers, met with a cruel end. Sumroo sold 
his sword first to one party and then to another, as 
interest might dictate. After his death, f which took place 

* Or Zeb-ul-Nisa, the ornament of the sex, christened Johanna Nobilis. 

t The widow of one of Sumroo's descendants still occupies a house and park 
liear Meerut, 



IKDIA AN^D HER NEIGHBORS. 81 

at Agra, 1778, his soldiery were maintained by his supposed 
widow, and the Mogul Minister, who perceived her to be a 
woman of extraordinary ability, put her — instead of her step- 
son, by another Mussalmani, who was a minor — in possession 
of the lands which had been held by Sumroo for the support 
of his troops. Her army is stated to have consisted of five 
battalions of Sepoys, about 300 European officers and gun- 
ners, with forty pieces of cannon, and a body of Mogul horse. 
This efficient little army was engaged in many parts of India. 
A detachment of it fought under Scindia against Wellington 
at Assaye, and on another occasion operated against the 
Seikhs; and, after quelling a rising in th^ Cis-Sutlej States, 
this energetic and loyal lady suddenly appeared with her Euro- 
pean officers in the palace of the emperor at Delhi, and over- 
awed by her presence Eohilla conspirators, causing them to 
regain their camp on the other side of the Jumna. In 1781, 
she embraced Christianity. She founded a Christian mission 
which grew by degrees into a convent, a cathedral, and a 
college; and there were some 1,500 native and Anglo-Indian 
Christians resident at Sirdhanah. Here she kept up princely 
state, and in 1792 married Colonel le Vaisseau, who was one 
of the chief European officers of her little army. Her troops, 
not approving of this arrangement, revolted, and a revolution 
broke out at Sirdhanah in favor of her stepson, Zafaryab 
Khan, or Aloysius Eeinhardt, residing at Delhi with the title 
of Nawab. The Begum and Le Vaissieau escaped, but were 
pursued. They agreed that neither was to survive the other, 
and when the soldiery came up, a scream from the female at- 
tendants of the Begum caused Le Vaisseau to look into the 
litter. The white cloth on her breast was stained with blood. 
She had stabbed herself, but the dagger glancing aside on the 
breast-bone, she had not the courage to repeat her blow, or 
rather, as it is alleged by ^_any, had no intention to do so. 
Her husband put his pistol to his temple, the ball passed 
through his head, and he fell dead to the ground. 

The Begum was carried back to the fort, stripped of her 
property, and tied under a gun. Here she remained several 
days, and must have died of starvation but for the kindly 
offices of a faithful ayah, who supplied her more pressing 
necessities. 

She appealed to George Thomas, an Irishman, formerly 
her chief officer, who commanded her troops in the dasliin^i- 
charge which rescued the emperor at Gokalgurh, but now 



82 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOKS. 

tlie Eajali of Hansi.* "With the generosity which is a char- 
acteristic of his nation, this man whom she had ill-used for 
years, hastened to her rescue with a body of troops, and re- 
instated her in her dominions, and restored to her her army, 
which she retained unmolested for the rest of her life. Her 
troops having already, before Thomas appeared in the field, 
found out the total inefficiency, through insobriety, of their 
new chief Zafaryab, and having become tired of being their 
own masters, plundered him to the skin, and were thankful 
to return to their allegiance. Unwilling to compromise her 
position a second time as Sumroo's heir, she never again gave 
way to the softer emotions of the heart. Death soon relieved 
her of all anxiety concerning her stepson. He died of the 
effects of intemperance, leaving a daughter, who married Mr. 
Dyce, an Eurasian, and became the mother of Mr. D. 0. 
Dyce- Sombre, who, with his sisters, was adopted by the 
Begum, and whose melancholy story is fresh in the memory 
of the present generation, f The management of her terri- 
tories occupied most of her time and attention, and their ef- 
fective supervision absorbed her energies. In addition to the 
territory round Sirdhanah, the Begum possessed a moderate 
Principality fifty miles south of Sirdhanah, and another near 
Delhi. Peace and order were well kept throughout her do- 
minion, no lawless chiefs were allowed to harbor criminals or 
defraud the public revenue. The soil was maintained in 
complete cultivation The peasants were sometimes obliged 
to plough their fields at the point of the bayonet. 

Thomas describes the Begum at that time as small and 
plump, her complexion fair, her eyes large and animated. 
She wore the Hindustan costume, made of the most costly 
materials. She spoke Persian and Urdu fluently, and at- 
tended personally to business, giving audience to her native 
employees behind a screen. At Durbar she appeared veiled, 
but in European society she took her place at table waited 
upon exclusively by maid servants. She was an imperious, 
unscrupulous woman, of immense force of character. J 

Bishop Heber, in his delightful journal, mentions the 
Begum Sumroo as ^"^ a little, queer-looking old woman, with 
brilliant but wicked eyes, and the remains of beauty in her 
features." He says she was generally respected both by her 
soldiers and the people of the country, and possessed consid- 

* See note at the end of this chapter, t Keene's " Fall of the Mogul Empire," 
^ Ibid. 



iKDIA AKD HER I^EIGIIBOES. 83 

Orable talent and readiness in conversation, but that he heard 
terrible accounts of the ears and noses she had cut off, and of 
her vindictive and unrelenting tyranny. He also alludes to 
the story of the poor Nautch girl whom she caused to be 
buried alive, but does not give the reason of this ferocious act, 
either considering the details unfit to be recorded by the pen 
episcopal, 'or his informant having judged them to be of a 
nature better withheld from their reverend hearer. Whatever 
her defects may have been, she was a brave leader in the field 
and a wise and successful ruler of her fertile territory. She 
once, when co-operating with the imperial army, rescued the 
emperor from a critical position, for which service he called 
her his daughter, a designation of high honor and dignity, 
and conferred upon her the title of Zeb-ul-Nisa, the ornament 
of the sex. No province in India appeared better adminis- 
tered than Sirdhanah. 

The writer has a lively recollection of seeing the Begum in 
extreme old age, shortly before she died, seated in Durbar, 
robed in the finest Cashmere shawls, with a jewelled turban 
and embroidered slippers, one of her pretty little feet resting 
on a footstool, smoking her hookah and chatting familiarly 
with her European visitors, seated in a semicircle on her right 
and on her left. The native vassals and sirdars of her high- 
ness were numerous, and had no seats assigned them, and as 
they approached to pay homage, the chamberlain, or master 
of the ceremonies, proclaimed with a loud voice their style 
and titles. 

The Begum bore herself bravely while seated in her great 
chair, rolled up in her Cashmeres, and her large black eyes 
were bright and full of humor. On one occasion, when ad- 
mitted too early to the Durbar hall before the aged queen was 
seated, the writer was amazed to see how bowed, and shrunk, 
and feeble she was, but as soon as she had taken her place all 
idea of physical infirmity vanished. 

At this time Mr. Dyce-Sombre, the Begum's adopted son, 
was all-powerful at her little Court, and no one could be 
more courteous and kind than he was, and his two sisters 
were then married to officers in the service of her highness, 
one an Englishman, and the other an Italian nobleman. The 
Begum was affable and kind in manner, hospitable and char- 
itable, but was unable entirely to emancipate herself from the 
old feelings of one accustomed to despotic authority. She 
had a fairly equipped army of 5,000 men, cavalry, infantry, 



S4 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBOES. 

and artillery, and, like all Oriental potentates, their pay was 
frequently greatly in arrears. About the time alluded to 
there was to be a parade of troops before the palace, some of 
the men refused to fall in unless they received some portion 
of their over-due pay. The aged lady, watching their pro- 
ceedings from the balcony, immediately issued orders for exe- 
cution of the malcontents, and was with some difficulty per- 
suaded by her European officers not to have recourse to such 
summary proceedings. 

She built a beautiful church, taking St. Peter's at Eome as 
her model. She entertained two priests as domestic chap- 
lains, one an Irishman, Pather Macdonald; the other an 
Italian, the well-known Father Julius Csesar, afterwards by 
the Pope raised to the episcopate. 

In 1836 this very remarkable and energetic lady died in ex- 
treme old age, and when the writer was in Eome not long 
after, he heard of the liberality of her alms and her princely 
donation to the Pope, and that a church with special services 
was set apart for masses for the repose of her soul. Her 
statue, surmounting a group in white marble by Tadolini, 
stands over her tomb in the church which she built at Sir- 
dhanah. The chief portion of her great wealth is now being 
enjoyed in this country by the heirs of her adopted son, the 
late D. 0. Dyce- Sombre. 

Note— George Thomas, the Sailor Rajah, was a common sailor in the British 
Navy, who, having deserted his ship, and having wandered about in various parts 
of India, entered the service of the Begum, and rose to be one of her chief offi- 
cers. The young Irishman was brave, handsome, and generous, and gave evei'y 
indication of capacity for command and administrative ability of no common 
order. 

His dashing bravery was signally shown when he, at the head of a detachment 
of the Begum's troops, rescued the Emperor Shah Alam from a critical position, 
and changed the fortunes of the day during the determined sortie of the garrison 
of Gokalgurh, in 1788. 

Some years after this, the Begum having married M. le Vaisseau, a Frenchman 
in her service, Thomas left her in disgust. 

Soon after this Thomas entered into correspondence with several native chiefs, 
and was soon in charge of an extensive territory yielding a large revenue, and 
when he appeared in public was escorted by a chosen body of horsemen. 

The Begum, instigated by her husband, invaded Thomas's new district, but was 
recalled by a revolution at Sirdhanah, which led to her deposition, when Thomas 
forgot all past injustice, and came to the rescue with all the generosity and chiv- 
alry of a warm-hearted Irishman. 

Thomas, soon after leaving Sirdhanah, was adopted by a powerful native chief 
of a capricious character, and who, not long after placing our adventurer in 
charge of certain wild and almost inaccessible districts, died insane. This and 



IKDIA AKD HEH KEIGHBOES. 85 

other circumstances, in those lawless times fraught with change and vicissitude, 
enabled the enterprising seamen to achieve for a time independent sovereignty. 

Hansi, the chief town of a district between Delhi, the Punjab, and Scinde, had 
fallen into decay, but he rebuilt the town, and restored the ruined fortifications, 
and such was his reputation that the people gladly returned to sow and till once 
more the long-neglected fields. 

" Here," to use the words of Rajah Thomas, " T established a mint, and coined 
my own rupees, which I made current ( !) in my army and country— cast my own 
a^^llery, commenced making muskets, matchlocks, and powder— till at length, 
having gained a capital and country bordering on the Sikh territories, I wished to 
put myself in a capacity, when a favorable opportunity should offer, of attempting 
the conquest of the Punjab, and aspired to the honor of placing the British stand- 
ard on the banks of the Attock." 

Thomas having extended his conquests towards the Punjab, cherished no less 
a design than the conquest of that country, and having achieved his purpose, was, 
Nearchus like to descend the Indus, and lay his conquest at the feet of his liege 
lord, George m. 

But the days of the sovereignty of the Sailor Rajah were numbered. 

General Perron was now all powerful at Delhi and Upper India, and he too 
had been a humble sailor, and in the plenitude of his power he would not brook 
the proud independence of the British seaman, and strange to say, the two men 
now stood face to face as representing England and France, rivals for the supreme 
power in Hindustan. 

On Thomas's refusal to acknowledge the supremacy of Perron, his territory 
was invaded and his capital besieged, and after an heroic resistance, the brave 
Sailor Rajah was allowed to retire to British territory on the 1st January, 1802. He 
died a few months afterwards on his way to Calcutta. 

Begum Sumroo took charge of bis family, but they have long since merged in 
the native population. 

It would have been well had the British Government cast the shield of protec- 
tion over Thomas in his manful struggles against Majhratta lawlessness, and the 
still encroaching and daring ambition of France, but at that time the country 
ruled by Thomas was regarded as distant from the British territory as Cabool is 
now. 

This extraordinary man gave peace to a turbulent country, and put an end to 
the perpetration of crimes which the British Government has found it difficult to 
deal with successfully. 

So completely had the Rajah identified himself with his people, and isolated 
himself from his own countrymen, that when Lord "Wellesley asked him to send 
him some account of his dominions, he begged that he might be allowed to send it 
in Persian, as he had forgotten English. 

He reigned for four years with great success and beneficence, and it is much to 
be regretted that he was not able to return to enjoy some portion of his hard won 
honors and wealth, and to spin stupendous yarns about the famous pagoda tree 
in his native Tipperary.* 

♦ I have followed in the above, Keene and the authorities he quotes. 



86 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XY. 

THE REMARKABLE WOMEN OF INDIA — continued. 



% 



Lutchmee Bhye, the Rebel Queen of Jhansi — Her wrongs — Her revenge 

and heroic death. 

Lutclimee Bhye, the fierce Ranee of Jhansi, must not be 
passed over in silence. The great blot on the otherwise suc- 
cessful and brilliant administration of Lord Dalhousie was 
his policy of annexing native states, which lapsed to the para- 
mount power from the want of heirs. Perhaps of all annexa- 
tions, the small Mahratta State Jhansi was the worst. It 
was usual in Mahratta States for the widowed queen to exer- 
cise sovereign power during the minority of the heir to the 
throne, or to adopt an heir should there be no legitimate 
claimant. In this case, on the death of the Rajah, the 
queen was not only denied the power of adoption, which, 
according to the custom of her country, she considered her 
right, but she was deposed, under humiliating and aggravat- 
ing circumstances, and the principality incorporated with the 
British dominions. 

Having deprived the Ranee of all power and authority, and 
sequestrated her husband's private estate, the British author- 
ities had the incredible meanness to call upon her to pay the 
prince's debts out of the slender provision they had awarded 
her. The Ranee petitioned and remonstrated in vain. We 
had no mercy, no consideration for the deeply injured woman, 
and we cannot be surprised that when in the hour of our 
tribulation we cried to her for succor, her ears were closed 
against us, and that she knew no mercy. 

The Ranee was in the prime of life, of a goodly presence, 
able, acute, a perfect mistress in the art of dissimulation, 
and knowing how to bide her time. That time came when 
our rebellious Sepoys were bent on uprooting all established 
authority and making an end of the English rule by fire and 
sword. 

At Jhansi there was the usual staff of civilians with detach- 
ments of native troops of all arms. The Europeans number- 
ing about seventy in all. The little force at Jhansi was not 



INDIA AKD HER I^EIGHBOES. 87 

slow to follow the example of their mutinous comrades else- 
where. The queen had by this time embodied troops of her 
own under the plea of self-protection. Appeals from the En- 
glish to the Ranee for aid or protection were yain. No an- 
swer was returned, the messengers being slain at the palace 
gates, and soon the handful of English men, women, and 
children were, in cold blood, ruthlessly butchered, after hay- 
ing been by the natives in our seryice most treacherously and 
cruelly betrayed. 

The British exterminated and their power laid in the dust, 
the queen issued from her palace with flaunting banners, and 
was proclaimed soyereign of the State. 

It is matter of history how the Ranee defended her ill- 
gotten power; the siege and taking of Jhansi being one of 
the most brilliant feats of arms of Sir Hugh Rose and his 
gallant army; and how, when the relieving army under Tan- 
tia Topee was defeated, she escaped through the force sur- 
rounding her. Having succeeded in joinmg the forces of 
Tantia Topee, the amazon queen was conspicuous at the 
head of her horsemen at the battle of Kunch, in the vain at- 
tempt to bar the advance of the British on Calpee on the 
Jumna, the great arsenal of the rebels in that part of India. 

Driven from Calpee with heavy slaughter, the broken 
forces of the enemy fled to Gwalior, where the mutinous con- 
tingent opened its ranks to receive them, and where the able, 
but craven Tantia Topee, deputed by the so-called Peishwa, 
Nana Sahib, assumed the chief command. 

The brave young Scindia and his able and loyal minister, 
Sir Dinker Rao, had to fly for their lives. At Gwalior, 
strongly entrenched round the great rock fortress, the rebels 
made their last stand. After three days of stubborn resist- 
ance, they were finally crushed. 

On the third day their leader, Tantia Topee, fled in good 
time as usual, but the Ranee, in male attire, accompanied by 
a lady of the palace, was found dead on the field of battle 
pierced by sword as well as bullet. 

Thus died in the prime of her days, as she desired, with 
her sword in her baud, the blood-stained and vindictive 
queen. None of the rebel host displayed such courage and 
conduct as the fated Ranee, and, notwithstanding her many 
crimes, we cannot withhold our admiration for her proud 
and undaunted bearing when adversity overwhelmed all 
around her, 



88 Il^DIA AND HER NEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTEE XVI. 

THE EEMAEKABLE WOMEK OF IlfDIA — COflcluded. 

Kudsia Begum of Bhopal — Sekunder Begum, her great qualities — Be- 
gum Shah Jehan, the present Ruler. 

8eTcunder Begum, of Bhopal. — This distinguished lady was 
descended from Dost Mahomed, an Afghan nobleman, who, 
during the anarchy that prevailed on the death of the Em- 
peror Aurungzebe, took possession of the territory adjacent 
to the town of Bhopal, and called his new-made domain Bho- 
pal, after his capital. 

At a moment when the arrival of General Goddard's force 
of 4,000 or 5,000 men on the western coast was of vital im- 
portance, the way was barred across the peninsula by all the 
princes of Central India save one. That one was the Nawab 
of Bhopal, who not only gave free passage through his coun- 
try, but liberally supplied the necessities of the army. This 
well-timed hospitality laid the foundation of a friendship 
which has never been- broken, and has been on several occa- 
sions of the utmost value, both to this country and Bhopal. 

In 1817 jN^uzzer Mahomed, the able and upright minister of 
Bhopal, having married the daughter of the previous Nawab, 
concluded a treaty with the British Government, which guar- 
anteed the country to himself on certain not very onerous 
conditions. 

On his death his widow, the Kudsia Begum, became regent, 
and a marriage was arranged between his nephew, Jehangire 
Mahomed Khan, and his only daughter, the Sekunder Be- 
gum. On this Jehangire was to be declared Nawab, but the 
queen regent, the Kudsia Begum, who was only seventeen 
when the reins of government were placed in her hands, had 
become enamored of power, and postponed the celebration of 



IHDIA AKD HER KEIGHBORS. 89 

the nuptials on yarious pretexts. At last, on the mediation 
of the British Goyernment, the Kudsia Begum retired on a 
handsome proyision, and Jehangire was duly inyested as Na- 
wab in 1837. 

The Sekunder Begum was formed to rule, from her abil- 
ities, her resolution, and lofty aspirations. She quarreled 
with her husband, and went to liye with her mother, where 
she remained for six years watching eyents. 

About this time the profligate career of Jehangire was 
brought to a close, and, after some delay, in February, 1847, 
Sekunder Begum was appointed sole regent for her only child, 
a daughter. 

** In six years she paid off the entire public debt of the 
State; she abolished the system of farming the reyenue, and 
made her own arrangements directly with the heads of yil- 
lages. Slie put a stop to monopolies of trades and handi- 
crafts; she brought her Mint under her own management, re- 
organized the police, and made many other improvements. 
In fact, she displayed in all departments of the State an 
energy, an assiduity, and an administratiye ability such as 
would haye done credit to a trained stateman." * 

The Begum was not only an able and successful adminis- 
trator, but a yigorous and heroic ruler. 

When the storm-cloud of 1857 broke upon Central India, 
the Begum neyer faltered. She sheltered British officers. 
She put down with a strong hand her own mutinous con- 
tingent. She soothed the excitement of her capital, and 
gaye peace and order to her territory. 

^' She did all this under great difficulties: when the con- 
tingent raised in Bhopal, and commanded by British officers, 
had mutinied, when her mother, who had become a bigot, 
and her uncles, who were weak-minded and priest-ridden, 
were urging her to declare a religious war against the infidel. 
But the Begum never faltered. She was true to the last." 

If the Begum was wise and courageous, she was also gen- 
erous and liberal to aid, to reward, and was prompt in all 
things. 

To us she gave soldiers and supplies of all kinds without 
stint, and her own people, who stood by her and us in the 
hour of trial, when the hearts of men were failing them 
through fear of the tribulation that was upon them, were 

* Mallesoa's " Native States of India." 



90 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

munificently rewarded. 'For important services to the para- 
mount power, Sekunder Begum had additional territory 
awarded her, with powers and privileges much coveted by 
native states, and in 1863 her highness was invested with the 
dignity of the highest grade of the Star of India. 

This famous Begum of Bhopal was of small stature and 
fragile frame, and continued her wise rule until her death, in 
October, 1868. 

The sentiments of the government of India regarding the 
character and services of Sekunder Begum are expressed in 
the following extract of an order issued by the Viceroy. After 
stating the profound regret with which the government had 
received intelligence of the demise of that illustrious lady, the 
document continues: "Her Highness had conducted the ad- 
ministration of this principality since the year 1847, when she 
was first appointed regent, with ability and success, until the 
day of her decease. In the early years of her rule, she im- 
proved the system by which the revenue of the State is col- 
lected, abolished monopolies, regulated the mint, reorganized 
the police, and gradually increased the revenue, while she 
effectually diminished the public debt. In later times, by 
her support of the cause of male and female education, by her 
superintendence of works intended to supj^ly her capital with 
pure and wholesome water, by the construction of serais and 
roads, and by other improvements, she gave convincing indi- 
cations of real and abiding interest in the progress of her peo- 
ple and in the prosperity of her country. But it was by her 
firm conduct during the great mutiny that she established a 
more direct title to the acknowledgments of the head of the 
administration. 

" Her unswerving fidelity, her skill in the management of 
affairs at an important crisis, the bold front which she pre- 
sented to the enemies of the British power, and the vigilance 
with which she watched over the preservation of English- 
men, were acknowledged by Lord Canning, in open durbar, 
in terms of well-deserved praise and commendation, and the 
gratitude of the British Government was further evinced by 
a grant of territory which its owner had justly forfeited in 
open rebellion, by a recognition of the right of succession, ac- 
cording to the custom of the principality and the Mahomedan 
law, and by the bestowal of one of those titles which the 
Sovereign of Great Britain, as the fountain of honor, has in- 
stituted to reward good services performed in India, either by 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 91 

natives of tlie country or by the British servants of the 
Grown." 

> The daughter. Begum Shah Jehan, at once succeeded. 
She, too, has one child, a daughter. Sultan Jehan, who was 
married on February 1, 1875, to Meer Ahmed Ali Khan Ba- 
hadur, a nobleman of Afghan descent. She has learned En- 
glish. The Begum of Bhopal receives a salute of nineteen 
guns. 



-p 



.".t ^iKSB-El^ 



92 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTEK XVIL 

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OP BRITISH RULE IN INDIA — 
BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 

Eivalry of Portuguese, Dutch, French and English in the East — ^First 
English ship — First factory, Surat — The transfer of the Island of 
Bombay from Charles II. , the dowry of his Queen to the East India 
Company in 1668 — Gradual Spread of English rule over the provinces 
vrhich Sivajee and the Peishwas had wrested from the Moguls and 
minor sovereigns of the Deccan — Mahableshwar — Poona — Oomra- 
wuttee — Goa. 

Having traced the history of India, from the earliest times 
to the overthrow of the Mahratta supremacy and the extinct- 
ion of the Mogul dynasty, we have now to describe the mod- 
est origin and wonderful progress of British rule in India, 
resulting in a dominion more solid and assured in the con- 
tentment of the people, as well as more prosperous and brill- 
iant, than that under Akbar the Great or Aurungzebe. Be- 
fore describing the origin and progress of the British in India, 
a very brief recapitulation will render the subject clearer and 
more interesting. 

It has been already seen that in the cold grasp of the aged 
and bigotted Emperor Aurungzebe the sceptre of the Great 
Mogul had imprinted upon it the germ of decay. From Ca- 
bul to Cape Comorin authority was shaken. On the North- 
west the Afghans and Seikhs were arming, and the Mahrat- 
tas in the South, having recently defeated the emperor in 
the field, hung like a cloud on the Western Ghats, ready to 
lay waste and pillage the plains of Hindustan. So soon as 
the master's hand was withdrawn, the fairest provinces in 
India were to be the prizes to be contended for by rebellious 
vassals, adventurers, and plunderers. 

Early in the sixteenth century the Portuguese, by doubling 
the Cape of Good Hope and establing a paramount influence 
in the eastern seas, and extensive commercial relations be- 
tween Europe and the East, by this route, they supplanted 



IKDIA A^B HER NEIGHBORS. 93 

the Venetians and Genoese who traded with India via Syria 
and Egypt. 

Portugal, haying become little more than an appanage of 
the Crown of Spain, its colonial dominion received a blow 
from whieh it never recovered. 

The Dutch, with characteristic energy and perseverance, 
towards the end of th» sixteenth century, followed the 
example of the Portuguese, and succeeded in commanding 
and retaining a large share in the eastern trade, as well as 
considerable political influence. 

The magnificent Results obtained from the adventures of 
the Portuguese and Dutch were not lost upon the rest of 
Europe, and even Louis XIY., the Grand Monarque, declared 
that it was not beneath the dignity of a gentleman to trade 
with India. About the year 16 60,^ companies or associations 
were formed for prosecuting the trade with India, and the 
representatives of the two great nations, that were destined, 
in a comparatively short period, to contend for the empire of 
India, were merely merchants and supercargoes with bills of 
lading, and invoices of their wares for their credentials. The 
strangers, in many instances, by the perfidy of the native 
princes, had to convert their stores and factories into fortifi- 
cations, and their clerks into officers of the native troops they 
had embodied for their defence, and thus they became con- 
querors in self-defence — mastfers, instead of suppliants for 
protection and leave to trade. 

The French and English were forced continually to make 
common cause with one or other of the contending princes, 
and in this way the superiority of the West over the East 
became demonstrated. 

The predominance of the English and the French over the 
natives of the country, led to a jealousy and conflict of inter- 
ests inevitable between the two great rivals of the West, who, 
instead of being merely allies in subordination to the native 
princes, soubadars, nawabs, and rajahs, had gradually become 
principals in the arena, whether of politics or war, and a 
great portion of the last century was occupied by their vary- 
ing and stirring fortunes in their bold attempts to seize the 
falling sceptre of empire. 

Sul3sequent chapters being devoted especially to the doings 
of other European nations in India, it is desirable to confine 
our attention in this exclusively to the progress of our own 
countrymen in India. 



94 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 

Bur at y <&c. — " The first English ship which came to Surat, 
was the ' Hector,' commanded by Captain William Hawkins, 
who brought a letter from the Company, and another from 
the king, James L, to the great Mogul Jehangire, requesting 
the intercourse of trade. 

"The 'Hector' arrived at Surat in August, 1608."* 

The first formation of an English factory took place at 
Surat, in 1612, under the protection of the Emperor Jehan- 
gire, which controlled all the factories from Cape Comorin 
to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, with additional privileges 
accorded by the Emperor Aurungzebe in ♦consequence of his 
admiration of the successful resistance of the English factory 
to Sivajee when he plundered the city. 

The town of Surat, 150 miles north of Bombay, lies on the 
Taptee, not far from its mouth, contains 130,000 people, and 
is still the seat of a considerable trade, however fallen from 
the high estate it once enjoyed, before Bombay sprang up to 
supersede it. Here in the seventeenth century, for about 
seventy years the young East India Company (^rove the bulk 
of its modest trade by permission of the Mogul emperors. 
Passing northward by the still populous town of Baroch (or 
Broach), in these days a busy cotton-mart, and by Baroda, 
the capital of the Gaikwar's State, we come to Ahmedabad, 
formerly one of the noblest cities in India in the days of the 
Bahmani kings of the Deccan, and still remarkable for the 
beauty of its chief buildings and the remains of palaces, 
mosques, and aqueducts which bear witness to its olden 
glories. Yet grander are the remains of Muhammadan 
architecture to be found at Beejapore, the capital of an old 
and splendid Pathan dynasty overthrown by the arms of 
Aurungzebe. Within the moldering walls and among the 
massive ruins of a vast city that once rivalled Delhi and 
Agra, only ten thousand people now dwell. 

Bombay, the capital of Western India, and the most popu- 
lous city in the empire next to London, and the most thriv- 
ing in the whole Peninsula. At Bombay His Eoyal Highness 
the Prince of Wales, on the 8th November, 1875, first placed 
his foot on Indian soil when commencing his memorable tour, 
and received a loyal and enthusiastic welcome. The city and 
its suburbs, containing altogether about 650,000 souls, spread 
over a group of islands, which, joined together by causeways, 
form a kind of promontory with one long horn at the eastern 



IKDIA AKD HER KEIGHBORS. 95 

or Colaba end, and a shorter one from the Malabar Hill, 
while Back Bay carries its deep arch between them. The 
breadth of this promontory never exceeds three miles, and its 
total length from Colaba to Sion is about fifteen. Two ranges 
of whinstone rocks, rising sometimes 190 feet above the sea, 
give Bombay a beauty of outline wholly wanting to the uni- 
form flatness of Calcutta and Madras. A noble bay on the 
eastern or Mazagon side of the island affords one of the finest 
harbors in the world. 

Of the earlier history of Bombay, or Mumbai, as the Mah- 
rattas call it, there is little worth mentioning before it fell 
into the hands of the Portuguese in 1632. At that time it 
seems to have been little better than a sickly salt-marsh. In 
1661 it was ceded to England as part of the dowry of Cathe- 
rine of Braganza. Seven years later, Charles II. handed it 
over to the East India Company at a quit-rent of £10 a year. 
For some years the English settlement had to contend with 
the twofold dangers of an unhealthy climate and foreign at- 
tacks. In 1686 the seat of government and of the Company's 
trade on that side of India, was shifted from Surat to Bom- 
bay, and in 1708 Bombay was formed into a presidency, like 
Madras and Calcutta, with a governor and council of its own. 

From that time the city grew steadily, both in political and 
commercial importance, through all the troubles which har- 
assed Western India in the last century. Practically safe 
from foreign invaders, it became the centre of a flourishing 
trade, and the meeting-place of traders and refugees from 
countries far and near. Its prosperity culminated with the 
American war of 1861-64, which for a few years threw the 
command of the cotton trade of the world into the hands of 
Bombay merchants, and the cotton -growers of Western India. 

With the return of peace came a sudden collapse, the more 
disastrous for the gambling mania which had seized upon the 
leading citizens of Bombay. Since then, however, the city 
has gradually emerged from its sudden eclipse, and still runs 
Calcutta a close race for commercial pre-eminence — a race in 
which it may yet prove the winner, w^ere it not for the vast 
producing districts in the rear of the metropolis. In some 
respects Bombay has already outstripped its eastern rival. 
The native town, with its broad bazaars and many-colored 
house-fronts, is one of the most picturesque in India. In 
public buildings of architectural beauty, in the public spirit 
of its native citizens, especially the Parsees, in culture, enter- 



96 IKDIA AKD. HEE NEIGHBORS. 

prise, social progress and general well-being, no other Indian 
city can touch the capital of the west. 

in the eighth century, not long after the Arab conquest of 
Persia, and the establishment of Islam in the room of the old 
national sun-worship, the Parsees, a small remnant of the 
unconverted race, were driven by steady persecution from 
their retreats in Khorasan, to the isle of Ormuz in the Per- 
sian Gulf. Their ill-fortune still following them, they took 
shelter, first at Diu, in the Gulf of Cambay, and some years 
later in Guzerat. Here, under certain conditions, they were 
allowed to dwell, and to build the temples which held the 
sacred flame kept ever burning in honor of their god — the 
pure and bright Ormuzd. Prom Guzerat they gradually 
made their way over Western India, until at last a new Parsee 
settlement sprung up in Bombay itself, where the Parsees 
have since taken the lead in every field of commercial enter- 
prise and social progress. 

Of late years a new industry has gained a firm footing in 
Bombay. At this moment eighteen cotton mills are at work 
in the island, and thirteen more are nearly completed — to 
say nothing of the mills which Bombay capitalists are found- 
ing in Surat, Ahmedabad, Madras, Nagpore, and the Deccan. 
Eailways connect Bombay with nearly all the chief cities of 
India — via Jubbulpore and Allahabad; it is connected with 
Delhi and Calcutta, and another line places it in railway con- 
nection with Madras. Its water supply is now brought 
chiefly from a great reservoir at Yehar, some fourteen miles 
off. Six miles from the city, in the Island of Elephanta, are 
the famous caves, masterpieces of old Buddhist and Jain 
architecture, hewn out of the solid rock, and still wonderful 
to look at even in their decay. The cave-temples of Kan- 
hari, in the neighboring Island of Salsette, will also repay a 
visit, although they cannot vie with the more imposing 
beauty of those at Karli on the road to Poona. 

On the Western Ghats, some thirty miles from Bombay, is 
the pleasant hill station of Matheran, about 2,500 feet above 
the sea, noted for its verdure and the views it offers of the 
surrounding country. Purther south, on the same range, is 
the larger station of Mahableshwar, at a height of 4,500 feet 
above the sea, the Simla, as it were, of Bombay, near which 
springs the sacred source of the Kistna. 

Poona. — The city of Poona, the ere-while capital of the 
Maharatta Peishwas, lies seventy-four miles southeastward 



IKDIA AHB HER KEIGHBORS. Q"? 

from Bombay, on a treeless plain about 2,000 feet above the 
sea. It still contains about 100,000 inhabitants, and forms 
the military headquarters of Western India. 

Oomrawutiee.—lnt'he fertile province of Berar, peculiarly 
suitable for the cultivation of cotton, is the large and rismg 
town of Oomrawuttee, the great cotton mart for Central 

India. ... -, , 

Goa.—Ssiilmg down the coast from Bombay, we come to 
Goa, the ancient seat of Portuguese rule in India, and stilV in 
its decay, an interesting relic of the greatness associated with 
the names of Vasco da Gama and Albuquerque. Its harbor 
ranks next to that of Bombay, and a Portuguese yiceroy still 
holds his little court in the modern town. But it is m Old 
Goa, now a mass of nearly deserted ruins, that the monu- 
ments of former greatness, alloyed by religious fanaticism, 
mavbe looked for in the magnificent cathedral, a few fine 
churches, and a convent hardly to be surpassed for size and 
grandeur by any in Europe. Lower down the coast stands 
Cochin, where Vasco da Gama died in 1525, and a little above 
it is Calicut, where he landed for the first time in 1498. 



98 IKDIA AKD HEE NEIGHBOKS. 



CHAPTEK XVm. 

OKIGIK AI^D PEOGEESS OF BEITISH EULE IK INDIA — 

contmued. 

MADEAS PEESIDENCT AKD BEITISH BUEMAH. 

Wars with the French — Clive — Coote — Dupleix — Labourdonnais — 
Bussy — Nawab of Carnatic — Madras— Arcot, heroic defence of— ^ 
Yellore, mutiny of — Grillespie and the 19th Dragoons — Ootacamund 
— Tinnevelley — Poore — Jtfggernath — Rangoon — Moulmien. 

The beginnings of Madras date from the founding of an 
English settlement in 1625 at Masulipatam; but the town of 
Madras, the great seat of English rule in Southern India, 
dates its origin from 1640, when the fest English factory on 
the site of the present city was turned into a fortified post, 
under the name of Fort St. George. 

A hundred years later came the wars with our French 
rivals, signalized by the dashing deeds of Cliye, Lawrence, 
Forde, Ooote3 and other heroes, and crowned at last, after 
several reverses, by the firm establishment of our sway along 
the whole of the Ooromandel coast. 

In 1746 the French, under Dupleix and Labourdonnais, 
took the town of Madras, and soon after Anwar- uddin, 
Nawab of the Carnatic, sent an army of 10,000 men to 
demand the cession of the town. This large army suffered a 
disgraceful defeat by Paradis at the head of 230 Europeans 
and 700 Sepoys. 

This action, of no great magnitude in itself, was fraught 
with momentous consequences, for it demonstrated to Euro- 
peans and natives, how impotent a native force, however 
numerous, was to cope with the disciplined valor of Euro- 
peans, or even with that of natives if led by Europeans. 

For a brief period nothing could be more brilliant than the 
career of the French in the Carnatic, under the auspices of 
Dupleix and the gallant Bussy. The vain-glorious and 
Bobadill-like doings of the former, his pillar of victory, and 



IKDIA AND HEB KEIGHBOBS. 99 

the town built to perpetuate Ws name, are mentioned in,a 

^"inCpattt'Ldia the fortunes of the English were re- 
duced to tie lowest ebb, when a new actor appeared on the 
scene tbe" heaven-born soldier" Olive, a young clerk or 
wrTte'r in the service of the East India Company who haxang 

Madras with a handful of men, to seize the important forti- 
fied own of Arcot, the capital of the Nawab of the Oar;natic 
X Alison seeino- Olive and his men marching steadily to 
t?e\!uSrirg a^torm of thunder and l^^^tnm^^^^^^^^ 
they were fire-proof, and, pamc-stricken, fled before them, 
abandoning: the fortifications. 

The heroic and successful defence of this place agai st 
oyerwhelming odds led the way to other yictones over the 
Frencl^ and their allies; but Olive, whose genius arid bravely 
had done so much to advance the prestige of the British was 
now called to achieve other and more arduous exploits in 
BeLal and was obhged to leave to another the glory of giv- 
fng fhe coup de grace to the French influence m that part of 

^^Inm^ the gallant Ool(*nel Eyre Ooote came with a mod- 
erate reinforcement of troops, and encountered the Frenc^^^ 
armv under Lally and Bussy, at Wandewash, when the 
Sh a^-my was totally routed, and the heroic Bussy made 
a prisoner. In 1761 Pondicherry surrendered Lally was 
- beheaded in Paris in 1766, and three years afterwards the 
French East India Oompany was dissolved. 

Thus the dream of a French empire m India was at an end. 
A little later began the hard fight for empire between the 
English and the House of Hyder All the Jugurthaof India, 
* which was to issue in the capture of Seringapatam m 1799 
in the death of his son Tippoo, and the ^t^er overthrow of 
his dynasty. In the next two years parts of the ^ zam s 
countTV and the whole of the Oarnatic were added to the do- 
minions ruled from Madras, which had become the seat o± a 
separate presidency in 1654. 

Madras, the capital of Southern India contains a popula- 
tion of 500,000, and speads over a length of nearly tour miies, 
with an average breadth of two and a quarto. A good aeai 
of this space is filed up with gardens and enclosures, or 



100 INDIA AKD HEE iq-EIGHBORS. , 

'^ compounds/' as in India they are generally called. Most 
of tlie public buildings and the merchants' houses front the 
sea, which here thunders along the beach in lines of breakers 
so heavy that no ship can approach or ordinary boat can liye 
in them, as a rule, but the Mussula boats and the Katamarans 
of the country pass through these breakers with impunity. 
In spite of its open roadstead, Madras contriyes to do a fair 
amount of trade with foreign countries; and when Mr. 
Parkes's scheme for a close harbor with curved breakwaters 
shall have been carried out on the lines already sanctioned, 
the capital of Southern India may yet come much nearer the 
commercial greatness long since achieved by Calcutta and 
Bombay. 

Arcot. — Arcot, the former capital of the Oarnatic, lies 
inland on the railway from Madras to Beypore. It is a large 
and prosperous town, memorable for the glorious defence 
which Clive and a few hundred SejDoys and Englishmen made, 
in 1751, against the repeated onsets of the Nawab, Ohunda 
Sahib's powerful army, with his French allies. 

" Military history records few events more remarkable than 
this memorable siege. Its conduct at once placed Clive in 
the foremost rank of distinguished commanders. Justly has 
it been said that he was ^born a soldier.'* At the time 
when, with a handful of men, moab of them unpractised in 
the operations of war, he defended the fort of Arcot against 
a force several thousand strong, his military experience was 
small, while of military education he was entirely destitute. 
His boyhood had passed in idleness, or in the reckless perpe- 
tration of mischief, while the few years which he had num- 
bered of manly life had, for the most part, been occujDied 
with the details of trade. Deprived of all the means by 
which, in ordinary cases, men are gradually prepared for the 
duties of military service or command, he showed himself a 
perfect master of the arts of war. Like all other eminent 
commanders, he communicated to those under him a spirit 
of devotedness and self-abandonment, which is among the 
most graceful, as well as the most valuable qualities of a 
soldier. An instance of this occurred among the native 
troops employed in the defence of Arcot, which is alike hon- 
orable to them and to their commander. When provisions 
became scarce, and there was ground for apprehending that 
famine would compel a surrender, the sepoys proposed that 
♦ Major Lawrence, "Narrative of the War on the coast of Ooromandel." 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBOES. 101 

their diet should be restricted to the thin gruel in -which the 
rice was boiled, and that the whole of the grain should be 
giyen to the Europeans, as they required more nourishment."* 

Vellore. — At a short distance from the frontier of Mysore, 
Vellore was chosen, after the fall of Seringapatam, as the 
future residence of the family of Tippoo Sultan, and was gar- 
risoned by a wing of the 69th Europeans and two regiments 
of native infantry, one of the latter being largely recruited 
from the soldiers of Tippoo's own army. 

Changes introduced in the dress of the Sepoys of the 
Madras army had. engendered a spirit of distrust and disaf- 
fection especially at Vellore. 

"At three o'clock on the morning of the 10th July, 1806, 
the two native regiments at Vellore rose in sudden mutiny, 
attacked the European barracks, where some 370 men of the 
69th Foot were yet sleeping, poured volley after volley into 
their helpless victims, and shot down thirteen officers coming 
out of their rooms." f 

A British officer on duty outside the fort, hearing the firing 
inside, immediately proceeded to Arcot, nine miles distant, 
and in fifteen minutes after his report, the gallant Colonel 
Gillespie, with two squadrons of the Nineteenth Dragoons, 
had started for Vellore, having left orders for the rest of his 
regiment, with the galloper-guns, to follow without delay. 
A native cavalry regiment obeyed with alacrity the trumpet- 
call, and was speedily in the saddle. When G-illespie arrived 
at the gate of Vellore, the hard-pressed British soldiers drew 
up, by means of a rope, the gallant colonel, and began at once 
the work of retribution; the galloper-guns meanwhile pro- 
claiming their arrival by blowing open the gates, when the 
dragoons dashed in, followed by the black horsemen, who 
emulated the ardor of their European comrades in putting to 
the sword all implicated in this treacherous, blood-thirsty 
outbreak. Of the gallant Sixty-ninth, ninety-five officers and 
men lay dead and nearly as many wounded. But the family 
of Tippoo were mercifully spared the punishment of their 
evident participation in the movement, for they and their 
servants had encouraged the mutineers both by word and 
deed, and had hoisted the tiger-striped banner of their father 
with his insignia over the palace. 

There is nothing finer in history than this prompt and 
heroic ride to save. 

* Malcolm's '* Life of Clive." t Trotter's, " India." 



102 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBORS. 

If there had been a Colonel Gillespie at Meerut in 1857, 
what might we not have been saved? 

Utakamund. — What Simla is to Calcutta and Mahablesh- 
war to Bombay, the beautiful hill station of Utakamund in 
the Neelgerries is to Madras. Lying more than 7,000 feet 
above the sea, this healthiest of Indian sanitaria has a smaller 
rainfall and a more even temperature than any of its Hima- 
layan rivals. Nearer Madras are the, Shevarai Hills, forming 
part of the Eastern Chats, and offering a pleasant retreat in 
the hot weather to those who may shrink from the longer 
journey to Utakamund or to the Palnai Hills still further 
south. 

Pooree. — On the northern frontier of the Madras Presi- 
dency, but under the Government of Bengal, lies the province 
of Orissa, a land of hills and wood fringed by a narrow sea- 
board through which the Mahanuddee flows by numerous 
outlets into the Bay of Bengal. The seat for many centuries 
of successive dynasties, Hindoo, Yavan, and Muhammadan, 
Orissa was finally rescued from Maharatta inroads in the be- 
ginning of the present century. Its chief town, Cuttack, has* 
a considerable trade and a population of 40,000. Far more 
famous is the ancient and holy city of Pooree at its southern- 
most corner. Hither from all parts of India flock crowds of 
pilgrims, eager to wash out their sms by worshipping at the 
shrine of Juggernath, or Vishnu, whose far-famed pagoda 
towers to a height of nearly 300 feet from the midst of 120 
smaller temples, and in whose service some^- 20,000 men, 
women, and children are constantly employed. 

Rangoon and Moulmein. — Crossing the Bay of Bengal, past 
the jungle-covered islands, the Sunderbunds, and the mouths 
of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, we sight the hilly coast 
of Araccan, conquered from the Burmese in 1826, and now 
forming part of British Burmah. Its chief town, Akyab, is 
a small but flourishing seaport. After rounding Cape ISTeg- 
rais, Bassein, on the most westerly mouth of the Irawaddy, 
is the first place that calls for passing notice. On the Ean- 
goon Eiver, a broad branch of the Irawaddy, lies, crowned by 
it great Golden Pagoda, the j)opulous and flourishing city of 
Kangoon, not only the maritime capital of Pegu, which, with 
the rest of that province, fell into our hands during the 
second Burmese war of 1853, but the capital of British Bur- 
mah, and where the chief commissioner of the province re- 
sides. To the east of Kangoon, a little way up the broad 



mt>tA. AKD HEE NEIGHBOilS. lOB 

and deep Salwin River, is the important town of Moiilmein — 
the most important town of Tenasserim — another Burman 
province ceded to us in 1826. With its broad streets of teak- 
built houses, its fine markets, roomy quays, and a population 
already numbering 20,000, Moulmein is one of the healthiest 
towns and most thriving seaports in British India. 

Near the G-ulf of Manar, and less than one hundred miles 
to the south of the town of Madras, is Tinnevelly, noted 
chiefly for its native Christians and a pearl fishery of no great 
importance. Further up the coast, is Negapatam, and a few 
miles up the Oavaree lies Tanjore, remarkable for its pagodas 
and a considerable trade in silks and muslins of home manu- 
facture. Further inland, on the same river, is the town of 
Trinchinoply, which played an important part in the wars of 
the last century, and still carries on a respectable trade in 
gold filagree -work, cheroots, and cutlery. Higher up the 
coast is Pondicherry, the last important relic of French power 
in Southern India — a power which for some years, under 
Dupleix and his successors, fought hard for mastery against 
its English rival, but happily fought in vain. With the cap- 
ture of Pondicherry from the brave but hapless Lally by the 
redoubtable Sir Eyre Ooote in 1761, French supremacy in 
India virtually received its death blow. 

While the English and French were struggling with vary- 
ing fortune for supremacy in the Oarnatic and the Deccan, 
events of the utmost importance affecting the future empire 
of India, were about unfolding themselves in Bengal, the 
richest and most populous of all the provinces which owned 
allegiance to the Mogul. 



104 IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

OEIGIIT AKD PROGEESS OF BRITISH RULE IK INDIA — 

; continued, 

BENGAL PRESIDENCY. 

Job Charnock — Prince Azim — Emperor Ferokshere — Hamilton — Mah- 
ratta ditch — Aliverdi Khan — Suraj-ud-doula — Fort William — Black 
Hole — Calcutta — Howrah — Barrackpore — Serampore — Plassy, Battle 
of — Clive — Meer Jaffier — Moorshedabad — Patna — Benares. 

While the power and influence of the British were already 
considerably advanced at Bombay and Madras, on the oppo- 
site sides of the peninsula, nothing could be more feeble or 
unpromising than their efforts to establish a footing in Ben- 
gal, arising, in a degree, from their own violence, which led 
to their expulsion from Hooghly and other factories; but their 
privileges were restored through the intervention of Mr. 
Boughton, whose surgical aid had been of service to one of 
the daughters of Shan Jehan, and subsequently to the Viceroy 
of Bengal. 

But the real foundation of our rule in Bengal was laid by 
Job Oharnock's successful negotiation* in 1695, when the 
villages of Chatanatti, Calcutta, and Gorindpur, were bought 
from Prince Azim, then Viceroy of Bengal, and the grandson 
of Aurungzebe. Soon after this time the Emperor Ferok- 
shere was unable, in consequence of indisposition, to receive 
his bride, a fair princess of Rajpootana, and was so overjoyed 
at this cure by Mr. Hamilton, the surgeon of the British em- 
bassy, that he asked him to name his reward, on which Ham- 
ilton patriotically asked for additional privileges and protec- 
tion for his countrymen to trade. Five years later the works 

* Job Charnock, when agent or chief of the East India Company's factory at 
Calcutta, happened to be present at the preliminary arrangements for a suttee, 
when he was so interested by the distress and beauty of the young widow, who 
was very reluctant to (juit this sinful world, that he ordered his guards to rescue 
her. They lived happily together for years, and had a family, and when she died, 
Charnock sacrificed yearly a cock upon her tomb. The fair Hindoo, instead of 
becoming a Christian, had unfortunately made Job a pagan. 



IKDIA AKD HER KEIGHBORS. 105 

of Fort William, on the Hoogly, outside Calcutta, were rising 
from the ground, as a bulwark against Mahratta and other 
foes. The Mahratta Ditch, dug in 1742, marked the modest 
boundaries of the new Presidency, which, covering only a few 
square miles of ground, was content to flourish under the 
protection of Aliverdi Khan, the Soubadar or Viceroy of Ben- 
gal. His grandson, Suraj-ud-doula, picked a quarrel with his 
Eno-lish neighbors, which issued in the capture of Fort.Will- 
mm, and the dreadful incidents of the Black Hole, where, in 
one hot night of June, 1756, 123 men and women out of 146 
in all, died miserably of heat, thirst, and oyercrowding, m a 
guard-room only twenty feet square, lighted by two small 
Avindows, strongly barred. For a moment the English power 
in Bengal seemed utterly and foreyer dead. 

But a new hfe awaited it at the hands of Cliye and Admiral 
Watson. In the following January Calcutta was retaken, 
and on the 23d June, 1757, the hosts of Suraj-ud-doula were 
finally routed by Cliye's little army near the yillage of Plassy, 
on the road to Moorshedabad. 

Calcutta,— Of the many cities of India famous either in the 
past or the present, pohtically or commercially, Calcutta, as 
the capital of our Indian Empire, and the great outlet for the 
trade of Bengal and Upper India, claims in an especial man- 
ner our attention. Lying about one hundred miles up the 
Hoogly, it has grown, from a group of small yillages, into a 
city stretching about four miles and a half along the noble 
riyer just named, with a breadth of less than two miles, and 
a population now reckoned at more than 400,000. Calcutta, 
or Kalikatta, derives its name from the Hindoo goddess Kali, 
whose worship is still common in Bengal, and among whose 
yotaries were the Thugs ol' Stranglers— aclass of professed 
thieves and murderers, whom Sleeman, and other officers^ of 
the Company, were engaged some forty years ago in hunting 
down. So thoroughly was that work done, that the Thug no 
longer dares to pursue his horrible calling within reach of a 
British magistrate. The whiter town of Calcutta, which 
sweeps back from the river and Government House, round 
the broad Maidan or plain behind Fort William, to the cathe- 
dral founded by Bishop Wilson, has some right to be called 
" the City of Palaces," from the imposing look of the large, 
lofty, white two-storied houses, with deep, pillared verandas, 
which reminded Bishop Heber of St. Petersburgh. Govern- 
ment House itself is a noble building in the Italian style, 



106 INDIA AKD HEE KEIGHBORS. 

which London might well envy. Some other of the publio 
buildings, notably the Courts of Justice, the Currency Office, 
the Post and Telegraph Offices, a church or two, one or two 
hotels, and the merchants' offices, are handsome structures; 
but the Cathedral is unworthy of being the Metropolitan 
Temple of the Church in India, and the black town is a mass 
of mean-looking houses, huddled along narrow and dirty 
streets. 

Between the Maidan (a grassy plain) and the river lies Fort 
William, half hidden behind its deep moat, and capable of 
holding 15,000 men. Fifty or sixty years ago it was one of 
the strongest of modern fortresses, and its strength even now, 
if it were properly armed, would no doubt suffice to protect 
the city from any approach by water. The river itself in 
front, is generally alive with shipping from all parts of the 
world, and with all kinds of native craft, from the crank, 
high-sterned dinghy, with its naked rowers, to the great 
corn-boats slowly bearing their freight up stream; steamers 
from Europe, models of engineering ingenuity, contrasting 
strangely with the primitive craft of the country. 

In the mall, or course along the river, and in the bazaars, 
you may see people of many different races, clothed in every 
kind of garb, from the sleek black Bengalee, in robes of pure 
white, to the tall, fair, but dirty- looking merchant from 
Cabul, in his high turban and loose sheepskin tunic. 
'' Strings of rude bamboo carts, drawn by slow oxen, im- 
pede the progress of well-appointed broughams, bearing rich 
merchants to their counting-houses; and the splendidly- 
equipped scarlet orderlies of the viceroy's body-guard, are 
seen side by side with the tawdry and ill-mounted ruffians 
who hang on the skirts of some petty native despot. Every- 
where the completeness, polish, and brilliancy of Europe, are 
seen contrasted with the rudeness, squalor, and. tawdry finery 
of Asia.* 

Across the Hoogly, and now connected with Calcutta by a 
floating bridge, is the important suburb of Howrah, with its- 
docks, the terminus of the East Indian Eailway, which runs 
up to Delhi, and also links Allahabad to Jubbulpoor= An- 
other and more pleasant suburb is Garden Eeach, on the Cal- 
cutta side of the river. Here still lives the ex-King of Oude, 
whose dethronement in 1856, however well deserved, may 
have helped to being about the general rising of that province 

* Times of India " Handbook of Hindustan." 



INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 107 

in the following year. During the mutiny the Calcutta Vol- 
unteers, mostly English merchants and traders, kept order 
and restored tranquillity_ to the metropolis, which was greatly 
disturbed, notwithstanding the noble bearmg of the Gov- 
ernor-General and Lady Canning, the latter showmg her fair 
face in the fashionable drive as usual. In these latter days 
theMaidan has twice witnessed the gathering of high En- 
o-lish officers and richly-decked native princes, to take part m 
the splendid pageant of a Chapter of the Star of India, held 
on each occasion by a prince of our own royal house. A little 
up the river is Barrackpore, the headquarters of the presi- 
dency division of the army, with a country house and park 
for the governor-general, and on the opposite bank is Seram- 
pore, the old seat of missionary enterprise in Bengal, and for 
many years a Danish settlement, before its transfer to the 
company in 1845. A few miles higher up is the Erench set- 
tlement of Chandernagore, which was taken by the English, 
but finally restored to Erance in 1816. 

Plassy.—'Nme.ty- six miles north of Calcutta, on the route 
to Moorshedabad. ' Ever to be had in remembrance as the scene 
of Clive's wondrous victory! , -, . 

But the turning point of our fortunes, which converted at 
a blow traders into heroes and statesmen, deserves more than 
a passing allusion. 

No wonder if the heart of the *' heaven-born general 
faltered for a moment on the eve of such a crisis; it was 

either victory or ruin! " Clive was unable to sleep; he 

heard through the whole night the sound of drums and cym- 
bals from the vast camp of the Nabob. It is not strange 
that even his stout heart should now and then. have sunk, 
when he reflected against what odds, and for what a prize, he 

was ill a few hours to contend. 

" Nor was the rest of Surajah Dowlah more peaceful. His 

mind, at once weak and stormy, was distracted by wild and 
horrible apprehensions. Appalled by the greatness and near- 
ness of the crisis, distrusting his captains, dreading every one 
who approached him, dreading to be left alone, he sat gloom- 
ily in his tent, haunted, a Greek poet would have said, by 
the furies of those who had cursed him with their last breath 
in the Black Hole. . , , „ , « 

'' The day broke; the day which was to decide the tate of 
India. At sunrise the army of the Nabob, pouring through 
many openings from the camp, began to move towards the 



108 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

grove where the English lay. Forty thousand infantry, 
armed with firelocks, pikes, swords, bows and r.rrows, covered 
the plain. They were accompanied by fifty pieces of ord- 
nance of the largest size, each tugged by a long team of white 
oxen, and each pushed on from behind by an elephant. Some 
smaller guns, under the direction of a few French auxiliaries, 
were perhaps more formidable. The cavalry were fifteen 
thousand; drawn not from the effeminate population of Ben- 
gal, but from the bolder race which inhabits the northern 
provinces; and the practised eye of Clive could perceive that 
both the men and the horses were more powerful than those 
of the Oarnatic. The force which he had to oppose to this 
great multitude consisted of only three thousand men. But 
of these nearly a thousand were English, and all were led by 
English officers, and trained in the .English discipline. Con- 
spicuous in the ranks of the little army were the men of the 
Thirty-ninth Eegiment, which still bears on its colors, amidst 
many honorable additions won under Wellington in Spain and 
Gascony, the name of Plassy, and the proud motto * Primus 
in Indis.' The battle commenced with a cannonade, in which 
the artillery of the E'abob did scarcely any execution, while 
the few field-pieces of the English produced great effect. 
Several of the most distinguished officers in Surajah Dowlah's 
service fell, disorder began to spread through his ranks, his 
own terror increased every moment: one of the conspirators 
urged on him the exj)ediency of retreating. The insidious 
advice, agreeing as it did with what his own terrors sug- 
gested, was readily received. He ordered his army to fall 
back, and this order decided his fate. Clive snatched the 
moment, and ordered his troops to advance. The confused 
and dispirited multitude gave way before the onset of discip- 
lined valor. 'No mob attacked by regular soldiers was ever 
more completely routed. The little band of Frenchmen, who 
alone ventured to confront the English, were swept down by 
the stream of fugitives. In an hour the forces of Surajah 
Dowlah were dispersed never to reassemble: only five hun- 
dred of the vanquished were slain. But their camp, their 
guns, their baggage, innumerable wagons, innumerable cattle, 
remained in the power of the conquerors. With the loss of 
twenty-two soldiers killed, and fifty wounded, Clive had scat- 
tered an army of near sixty thousand men, and subdued an 
empire larger and more populous than Great Britain."* 

* Life of Clive by Malcolm. Maoauley's Critical and Historical Essays. - 



IKDIA AKt) HER NEIGHBOES. 109 

Under a new N"awab of Bengal, set np by the conquerors, 
large districts around Calcutta were added to tlie company's 
rule. In 1765 all Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa were made over 
to the company by Shah Alam, the Mogul Emperor, as a kind 
of fief, to be held on payment of a fixed tribute. In the 
time of Warren Hastings, the first and greatest Governor- 
General of India, these rich and populous provinces dropped 
by force of circumstances into the entire possession of their 
English masters, who also gained a footing in Benares and 
Allahabad. 

Moorsliedabad — On the Bhaugeruttee has long since dwin- 
dled from its former splendor, as the capital of successive 
Nawabs of Bengal; it is the place where the victor of Plassy, 
flushed from his overthrow of one king, set up another in 
his stead. This city was formerly the headquarters of the 
silk trade, and is still celebrated for its exquisite carving in 
ivory. 

Patna. — Turning thence up the Ganges, we come to the 
rich and populous city of Patna, 380 miles from Calcutta, 
peopled chiefly by Mahommedans, and famous as the scene 
of several English victories, of a massacre of English prison- 
ers by the ruffianly Walter Eeinhardt, otherwise Sumroo, in 
1763, and in later days of many a Mussulman plot against our 
rule. Patna is alike famous for its opium and rice. 

Benares.— FoTij miles further from Calcutta, on the left 
bank of the Ganges, towers Benares, the holy city of the 
Hindoos, in a stately semicircle above the broad river, pre- 
senting to the first view a rich confusion of temples, palaces 
and ghats, or bathing-stairs, interspersed with clumps of 
trees, and crowned by two lofty minarets, which recal the 
palmiest days of Mogul rule. The city itself is a dense maze 
of narrow crooked streets, often hned by lofty and noble stone 
houses, and generally thronged by Brahmins, pilgrims, Ea-. 
keers, traders, and Brahminee bulls. At all hours the num- * 
berless shrines are visited by eager worshippers bearing gifts, 
while the Ghats are daily trodden by thousands of people 
met for bathing, praying, preaching, bargaining, gossiping, 
or sleeping. So sacred is deemed the Ganges at Benares that 
the police have occasionally to restrain the over-zealous pil- 
grims from seeking eternal bliss by immolating themselves in 
its turbid waters. At once the Oxford and the Mecca of 
India, Benares also ranks amongst the very wealthiest of In- 



110 



IKBIA AKB HEU KEIGHBOHS. 



dian cities, and drives a lucrative trade in kincobs, brocades, 
and other rich fabrics. 

Here, too, it was that Warren Hastings, amidst a whole 
populace in arms against their rajah's seeming oppressor, 
quietly finished the draft of his treaty with Scindia, while 
faithful messengers stole out of the city with demands for 
succor from the nearest military post. And here it was that 
Weill's timely daring and Tucker's heroic firmness, prevented 
a mutinous outbreak in 1857 from blazing into a general 
revolt. 



1 



IKDIA AKD HER 2^fEIGHB0ES. Ill 



CHAPTER XX. 

OEIGIH AKD PROGRESS OF BRITISH RULE IH IKDIA— COW- 

tinued. 

PRESIDENCY OF BENGAL AND NORTHWEST PROVINCES. 

Mahrattas — Tragical occurences— Alamgire II. — Yazir Gazi-ud-deen — 
Shah Alam II. — Battles of Buxar, Patna and Guya — Carnac and 
Munro — M. Law — Allahabad — Cawnpore — Lucknow— Oude — Agra. 

For the latter part of the eighteenth century the Mahrat- 
tas were the dominant power in the Deccan and Hindustan, 
but their disunion and rivalry not only gave opportunity for 
the intrigues of otlier adventurers at the Imperial Court at 
Delhi, but rendered the permanency of their own widely-ex- 
tended dominions impossible. 

The Mahrattas frequently, without any apparent design, 
but to prove their own ubiquity and daring, insulted the em- 
peror, flaunting their banners and defying his authority under 
the very walls of his palace, and even when entrusted with 
the highest offices, leaving their liege lord to the mercy of the 
unscrupulous and blood-thirsty miscreants, who, in times of 
violent vicissitude and revolution, had too frequently a foot- 
ing within the palace, and who stopped at no outrage or crime 
to gain their ends, or of those who employed them. 

A short time before the fatal field where the Abdallee Shah 
of Afghanistan, the most renowned soldier in Asia, had 
humbled the pride and broken the power of the Mahrattas, 
the infamous Yazir Gazi-ud-deen had the unfortunate empe- 
ror, Alamgire the II. , assassinated. The heir apparent, Ali 
Ghohur, afte wards Shah Alam the II., previous to this, hav- 
ing bravely cut his way through his enemies, entered into an 
arrangement with the then Governor of Allahabad for the 
recovery of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, the prince being the 
legally appointed Soubadar of these provinces. 

As the movements of the prince greatly influenced our pro- 
gress in Hindustan, while it led to the consolidation and per- 



112 Ili^-DIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

manency of our rule in tlie lower provinces, a few words as 
to his personal appearance and character may not be out of 
place on his advent — to him a new arena of politics and war. 

The prince at this time was about forty years of age, hand- 
some, tall, and of a dignified presence, brave, and almost too 
merciful to his enemies, without enterprise or force of will, 
fond of pleasure, and too compliant to those about him ; the 
character of his ancestor Aurungzebe was like that of Louis 
the XI., while that of Shah Alam resembled that of Charles 
the TI., abandoning great designs for sensual gratifications. 

Such was the royal adventurer who, driven by adverse fate, 
sought a precarious footing in the wide dominions which by 
right were all his own. 

The news of his father's death, and the appointment of 
his own son. Prince Jewan Buckt, to act in Delhi as regent 
in his absence, at last reached the exiled prince, when he was 
at once proclaimed and acknowledged as Shah Alam the 11. , 
or Conqueror of the World. 

Shah Alam established his court at Allahabad, at the con- 
fluence of the Ganges and Jumna, and made various excur- 
sions, with such troops as he could collect, into Behar, with 
a view of extending the limited territory subject to his sway. 
He encountered the British forces under Major Carnac and 
Major Munro (afterwards the famous Sir Hector Munro) at 
Buxar, at Patna, and finally at Guya. In all these actions the 
emperor was defeated, although supported, by the j)owerful 
Viceroy of Oude, Meer Cossim, with the miscreant Sumroo 
and his trained battalions, and the distinguished French ad- 
venturer, M. Law, who, when deserted by all, refused to sur- 
render his sword, but was received by the British with honor 
and hospitality. 

It was after peace was restored, and a small addition had 
been made to the territory subject to the emperor for his 
pressing necessities, that the powers and privileges of the 
British over Bengal, Behar, and Orissa were extended, and 
they were made perpetual collectors of revenue. And in 
return his vassals and servants were pleased to confirm Shah 
Alam in the possession of the scanty remains of sovereignty 
at Allahabad. 

AllaJiahad. — Allahabad, the present capital of the North- 
west Provinces, is commanded by a strong fort, which marks 
the meeting of the blue waters of the Jumna with the turbid 
flood of the Ganges, The city, which is about Ave. hundred 



IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 113 

miles from Calcutta, was an important place in the Mogul 
days, when its old Hindoo name of Prag was exchanged for 
the one it now bears, Allahabad, or the city of Allah. It 
still boasts a population of 100,000, and retains its old sanc- 
tity in Hindoo eyes. During the mutiny, the sepoys quar- 
tered there suddenly rose upon their officers, some of whom 
were cruelly murdered, and the city, with the surrounding 
country, was given over to anarchy and plunder, until Weill's 
timely arrival with his Madras Fusiliers encouraged the re- 
sistance already made by Brasyer's Sikhs, secured the fort 
itself from further danger, and finally drove the rebels away 
from that neighborhood. 

Cawnpore. — On the right bank of the Ganges is Cawnpore, 
an old city with 110,000 inhabitants and a large trade, 
especially in saddlery and other articles of leather manufact- 
ure. On the plain outside once stood perhaps the largest 
cantonment in India, before the British outposts were ad- 
vanced to Umballa and Ferozepore. From two of the bar- 
racks poor Sir Hugh Wheeler and his undaunted but ill- 
fated garrison maintained for three weeks of June, 1857, a 
hopeless defence against swarms of rebels, led by the infa- 
mous Nana of Bithour. From the banks of the neighboring 
river, his ruffians began their cowardly and cruel slaughter of 
men without arms, and women and children who had been 
promised a safe conduct to Allahabad. Of the hapless sur- 
vivors, four only lived to greet their advancing countrymen; 
the rest were either slain on the spot, or reserved for that 
final massacre, whose still fresh traces told their tale of hor- 
ror to Havelock's heroes on the memorable 16th July. The 
well into which the still warm bodies of the victims had been 
thrown has since been covered with a memorial figure, and 
surrounded with a handsome parapet, while a beautiful gar- 
den seems to relieve, in some degree, the sad memories of the 
place. The Prince of Wales, during his recent tour, paid with 
his usual good feeling a reverent visit to the last resting- 
place of the slaughtered innocents of his country. 

Lucknow. — From Cawnpore let us cross the Ganges, and 
follow the road taken by Outram, Havelock, Neill, and after- 
wards by Lord Clyde, to Lucknow, once the capital of the 
ISTawabs of Oude and subsequent kings. This large, pictur- 
esque, and populous city— which at one time contained some 
300,000 souls, a number now greatly reduced — stretches for 
four miles along the right bank of the Goomtie, here spanned 



114: INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

by two bridges. Its noble-looking mosques and semi-Italian 
palaces, surrounded sometimes by green and wooded parks, 
awaken in the mind a sense of grandeur and beauty, which a 
nearer view of the streets and buildings does not tend to 
deepen. Some of the buildings, however, and one or two of 
the streets, are well worth seeing. The ruined Residency still 
attests the fierceness of the struggle waged for months, in 
1857, by a small but noble garrison of men and women 
against the whole armed strength of Oude. Of the cool 
courage and heroic endurance shown by all who shared in that 
defence, it is impossible to speak too highly. Of those who 
fought and fell there, the first, alike in rank and worth, was 
the noble Sir Henry Lawrence, the greatest soldier-statesman 
of his day. Neill's death, just outside the Residency, in the 
very moment of victory, cast a shadow ou the glorious deeds 
that marked the first relief of Lucknow — soon to be rendered 
still more deep by the loss of Havelock, the hero of that brief 
but brilliant campaign. How bravely Outram, the Bayard of 
the Indian army, held the post of danger, into which he and 
Havelock had forced their way, through fearful odds, until 
Sir Colin Campbell came up to the final rescue, need not be 
told again. The latest memories of Lucknow, are connected 
with the visit of the Prince of Wales, with his splendid wel- 
come by the once rebellious, but now loyal, Talukdars of 
Oude, and with the kindly and gracious words addressed by 
him to some of the Sepoy veterans, who stood so loyally by 
our countrymen throughout the trials of the siege. 

Eighty miles east from Lucknow, on the banks of the 
Grorga, stands the ancient and populous city of Oude, dear to 
Hindoos as the former seat of one of the oldest and most 
powerful Hindoo dynasties centuries before the Christian era. 

On the northwestern border of Oude lies the fruitful and 
well- watered provmce of Rohilchund, forming part of the 
Northwestern Provinces. Its chief towns, Bareilly, Shahja- 
hanpur, and Moradabad, are the centres of populous districts, 
which, in 1857, were given over for a time to all the horrors 
of mutiny and rebellion. 

Agra. — Placed on the Jumna is the once imperial city of 
Agra, known to the Moguls as Akbarabad, or the city of Ak- 
bar, greatest and wisest of the old emperors of Hindustan. 
The city, which he may be said to have founded, still boasts 
a population of 145,000, and was captured by Lake in 1803. 

Some time before the mutiny it became the seat of our rule . 



mm A AND HER NEIGHBORS. 115 

in the Northwest Provinces. Within the city are one or two 
fine streets of stone-built houses, and at least one noble mosque, 
the Jumma Mas j id. But its greatest ornaments are the pict- 
uresque fort of red sandstone, built by Akbar, and, further 
up the river, that exquisite " dream in marble," the Taj- 
Mahal, which Akbar's grandson, Shahjehan, reared, with the 
aid of Italian architects, to the memory of his lovely and 
well-beloved queen, Mumtaz-i-Mahal, the Flower of the Pal- 
ace. This gem of Eastern art — for such it is — with its taper- 
ing minarets, upswelling marble dome, delicate trellis work, 
and gracefully-flowing mosaics, is unsurpassed, as Elphin- 
stone rightly observes, by any other building in Europe or 
Asia, '' for the richness of the material, the chasteness of the 
design, and the effect at once brilliant and solemn." Even 
in Florence its mosaics in pietra dura are unequalled. Its 
stately grace and perfect symmetry of form must strike the 
beholder from almost any point of view; but it is seen to best 
advantage either from across the river, or else by moonlight, 
glistening in white softness through the long dark avenue of 
cypresses which, from a majestic gateway, lead up to its broad 
marble basement. 

The fort itself, in which our beleaguered countrymen found 
safe shelter during the worst days of 1857, contains many beauti- 
ful buildings of stone, marble, and inlaid work, dating from 
the times of Akbar and Shahjahan. Among these the ex- 
quisite Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, with its graceful 
arches and clustering domes, fills the foremost place. Here, 
too, are the marble-floored rooms once inhabited by ladies of 
the Imperial Harem, and the palace where Shah-Jahan passed 
his latter days — a state prisoner — by sufferance of his son 
Aurungzebe. The civil and military lines spread for some 
distance over the plains outside the city. Akbar himself lies 
buried in a noble mausoleum at Secundra, a few miles distant 
from Agra, so vast that Lord Lake was said to have quartered 
a regiment of horse in its arches. Mahommedans to this day 
visit this tomb with as much awe and reverennce as if the 
great emperor was almost divine. Twenty miles southeast from 
Agra, at Futtepore Sickri, towers the great mosque, whose 
lofty gateways and vast quadrangle still attest the architect- 
ural glories of Akbar's reign. 

On the Jumna, thirty- five miles northwest of Agra, is Mut- 
tra, an old Hindoo city, famed for its shrines and sacred 
monkeys. Many years ago two young English officers, in 



116 IKDIA AliTD HER KEIGHBOKS. 

sport, wounded one of these sacred animals, which created 
such a commotion by the screams of his countless relatives, 
that the people rose in a frenzy of religious enthusiasm, and 
the Englishmen, to save themselves, forced their elephant to 
cross the river; but as the animal rolls in the water, only the 
mahout, or driver, reached the opposite bank. Muttra was 
also the favorite head-quarters of Madojee Scindia, the 
Pateil, * when he was supreme director and protector of the 
emperor. 

* Or beadle, or headman of a village, as he loved to call himself in the plenitude 
of his power. This office in his native >^llage was hereditary in his family. 



INDIA AHD HER KEIGHBOES. 117 



CHAPTER XXL 

PEOGEESS OF BEITISH EULE li^- IJ^TDIA — continued. 
NOETHWEST PEOVII^CES. 

Shah Alam II. — Viceroy of Oude — Meer Cossim — Sumroo — Mahrattas 
— Golam Kadir — Scindia — Lord Lake — Bahadour Shah — Delhi and 
its vicissitudes — The Koh-i-noor and the Peacock Throne — Mahdajee 
Scindia — Daulat Rao Scindia — Holkar — Ochterlony — Alarm in the 
Palace — Mutineers — The King, the Captain of the Guard, and the 
Physician — Willoughby fires the Arsenal — Siege — Capture — English- 
men dine in Palace of Mogul — Hodson at Hoomayoon's tomb — Sur- 
render of King and Princes — Grand reception to Prince of Wales — 
Proclamation of Empress. • 

Aetee the battles of Patna, Bnxar, and Gnya^ the Emperor 
Shah Alam II. resumed his residence at Allahabad, and the 
Viceroy of Oiide had favorable terms granted him, and nearly 
all his territory restored. Meer Cossim fled despoiled, and 
deserted by the viceroy and his former tool, Sumroo, for pro- 
tection to the Rohillas, where he died; and Sumroo, with the 
remnant of his force, entered the service of the Rajah of Jey- 
pore. 

Soon after this the emperor got tired of his modest retire- 
ment and mimic court, and was easily persuaded by the Mah- 
rattas, who had reasons of their own for wishing to have the 
charge of the person of the sovereign, to return to the palace 
of his ancestors at Delhi, and in 1771, contrary to the advice 
and urgent remonstrances of his English friends and protect- 
ors, Shah Alam accompanied Scindia to the imperial city, 
where he was received with great manifestations of loyalty 
and rejoicing, and was enthroned with every circumstance 
that conld give splendor to so august a ceremonial. 

The Maharattas were from 1771 to 1803 the masters of Hin- 
dustan, under Scindia, the Pateil, and his successor, but for a 
space the attention of this renowned warrior and crafty poli- 
tician was absorbed in his attempts to achieve supremacy in 



118 IKDIA AN"D HEE KEIGHBORS. 

the court of the peishwah, as he had ah-eady succeeded in 
doing in that of the emperor. 

In this season of neglect, a wretch, Golam Kadir, an Af- 
ghan, aided by the discontent of the Mogul nobles, under the 
Maharatta rule, forced himself, with his immediate followers, 
into the palace, and compelled the helpless emperor to ap- 
point him his vizier, the highest office in the State. 

This atrocious ruffian having, it has been said, received at 
the hands of the emperor an irreparable wrong in his eaiiy 
youth, thirsted for revenge on the imperial house. 'ISTo 
sooner was he installed in office than he filled the palace with 
those devoted to his interests. After grossly insulting the 
emperor and his family, he, with his own hands, blinded the 
aged monarch, tortured the princes, and outraged the sanc- 
tity of the harem in frantic attempts to obtain possession of 
fancied hidden treasure. After heaping every insult and 
degradation on the inmates of the palace, and having col- 
lected a vast amount of valuables, having robbed the ladies 
even of their personal ornaments — scared by the rumor of the 
too tardy approach of Scindia, Golam Kadir collected his 
booty, and after burning a portion of the palace, sought 
safety in flight during the darkness of the night. This fero- 
cious assassin came to a dreadful end. In a vain attempt to 
escape with the most valuable jewels, he fell from his horse 
and was secured by the country people and sent to Scindia, 
who had now resumed his functions as lieutenant-general of 
the kingdom. After having been degraded and tortured in 
the most dreadful manner, his head was cut off and placed at 
the feet of the now blind, aged, prostrate emperor, whom he 
had so remorselessly insulted and outraged so recently. Shah 
Alam remained poor and neglected by Scindia, until rescued 
by Lord Lake, in 1803. One of the grandsons who had been 
tortured in the presence of the emperor, was Bahadour Shah, 
who witnessed in his palace at Delhi, in 1857, the massacre, 
in cold blood, of Englishmen, women, and children. 

Delhi. — Nearly a thousand miles by road from Calcutta. 
For miles before the eye rests on the tall red sandstone walls and 
bastions of the city, founded, or rather rebuilt, by Shah- Jehan, 
the ground is covered with the ruins of former Delhis, or of the 
yet older Hindoo city of Indraprastha. Successive dynasties, 
Hindoo, Pathan, and Mogul, have left the., traces of their 
olden splendor in or about .the city, w^hose name, to English- 
m^"^} will always reoal at once th^ darkest and the brightest 



IKDIA AKD HEK NEIGHBORS, llO 

page in the history of our Indian Emioire. From the day 
when Pritwi Eajah, the last Hindoo King of Delhi, jB.ed be- 
fore the onset of Muhammad Ghori's Afghan horsemen, in 
1193 A.D., to the hour when Nicholson's stormers planted the 
British flag once more on the walls of the great rebel strong- 
hold, in September, 1857, Delhi has lived on through a long 
train of chequered experiences, such as, perhaps, no other of 
the world's chief cities can match. Every foot of ground 
within or around its walls is indeed historical. To tell of all 
til at has happened there would be tantamount to writing the 
history of Hindustan. No other city, not even Eome herself, 
has witnessed such swift and frequent alternations of success 
and suffering, peace and bloodshed, greatness and humiliation, 
good government and fearful tyranny. In the fourteenth 
century it was well-nigh unpeopled, in order that Muhammad 
Toghlak might indulge his whim for transferring the seat of 
empire to the Deccan. Of course the attempt failed, and 
Delhi throve again under his humane successor, Feroze Shah. 
But the last days of that century beheld its streets piled with 
dead, and its houses gutted of their wealth, by order of the 
merciless conqueror, Timoor the lame. 

For many years after 1450 the citizens had a long rest from 
suffering under the wise rule of Balol Lodi. Then came a 
time of further trouble, which ended in the conquest of Del- 
hi by Baber, the brave, chivalrous and jovial founder of the 
Mogul dynasty, in 1526. During the long reign of his 
grandson Akbar, contemporary with our own Elizabeth, Del- 
hi flourished as it had never done before. For about two 
centuries it continued to reflect the greatness and the splendid 
tastes of its Mogul rulers, from Akbar to Aurungzebe. Its 
outward glories culminated under Shah-Jehan, to whose 
princely tastes are due the noblest streets in the modern city, 
and the magnificent fortified palace, with its lofty red stone 
walls, its stately halls of marble and mosaic, and its wide 
arcaded courts, surpassing in magnificence, according to 
Heber, the Kremlin at Moscow. He, too, it was who built 
the great Jamma Musjid, one of the noblest mosques in the 
world, and who surrounded the city with walls and noble 
gate-ways, covering a circuit of seven miles. 

Early in the eighteenth century the imperial city was 
rudely awakened from its long rest, to go through a new 
course of trials and disasters, now due to civil commotions, 
now to new invaders from without. Hardly had it escaped 



120 Iiq-DIA AKD HEla iTEIGHBOES. 

the attack of Bajee Eao's Malirattas in 1737, when it fell a 
prey to the greed of the Persian savage, Nadir Shah, who, 
after renewing the massacres of Timoor, carried away from 
the plundered city many millions' worth of treasure and 
jewels, including the Koh-i-noor, the chief ornament of the 
famous Peacock Throne of Shah-Jehan. Some years later, 
the Great Mogul of that day was blinded and slain by his own 
vizier, and for months contending factions filled the city witli 
their murderous havoc. Three years afterwards, in 1756, 
Delhi was plundered by a new invader, Ahmed Shah, the 
Durance King of Afghanistan. The work of ruin was car- 
ried on by the Malirattas, who, in 1759, despoiled and disfig- 
ured the still lovely palace of Shah Jehan. There, too, it 
was that the infamous Gholam Kadir, in 1788, "with his 
own hands shared in the torture of the royal family, and the 
blinding of the helpless old emperor. Shah Alam.^' By that 
time the Malirattas, recovering from their crushing defeat at 
Paneeput in 1761, came again swarming over Hindustan, and 
the poor blind descendant of Akbar was presently replaced 
on his shadowy throne by Mahdajee Scindia, who for some 
years ruled the country in his name. Under his successor 
Daulat Eao Scindia, the helpless puppet and virtual prisoner 
of his new protectors held his mockery of an Imperial court, 
until the capture of Delhi by Lord Lake in 1803, when the 
poor old man was found '^ seated under a small tattered 
canopy, the remnant of his royal state, with every external 
appearance of the misery of his condition." 

From that moment all Delhi, outside the palace where 
Shah Alam still reigned over his own household, passed under 
the rule of that Company to whom Shah Alam, in 1765, had 
granted the government of Bengal. Thenceforth, save for 
Holkar's sudden dash on Delhi in October, 1804, baffled by 
Ochterlony's gallant defence, nothing ruffled the peace of the 
famous city until in the early morning of the lltli of May, 
1857, the mutinous troopers of the Third Bengal Cavalry, 
which had been unaccountably allowed to escajoe from Meerut, 
clamored loudly under the palace windows of the king for 
help and leave to enter the city — they had overthrown the 
English, and had come to fight for the king and the faith. 
The troopers cried to the king with a loud cry, for a great 
fear was upon them, for they thought in their terror that 
they saw the gleam of the avengiug sabres of the British 
dragoons in headlong pursuit of the scared and frantic troop- 



INDIA AKD SEE NEIGHBORS. 121 

ers: — but, alas! of the magnificent European brigade at 
Meerut, not a man moved in pursuit of these traitors and 
murderers. 

If swift retribution had followed their blood-stained steps, 
what prolonged anguish might we not have been spared! 
what horrors might not have been averted! Hearing their 
cry, the king summoned to his presence Captain Douglas, the 
Commandant of the Palace Guards. In the Hall of Au- 
dience, supporting his tottering limbs with a staff, the aged 
monarch met the English captain. Douglas said that he 
"would descend and speak to the troopers; but the king im- 
plored him not to go, lest his life should be sacrificed, and 
laying hold of one of his hands, whilst Ahsonoollah, the 
king's physician, took the other, imperatively forbade him to 
go down to the gate. * 

In vain the Captain of the Palace Guards delayed the 
troopers for a moment, and only for a moment, for there 
were traitors within, as well as without, the great strong- 
hold of the Moguls, the clatter of horses'' feet in the streets 
and the fierce shouts of the troopers, followed by a great mul- 
titude — proclaimed that the first act of the great drama was 
consummated by our mutinous soldiery — a dome-like cloud 
rose above the arsenal fired by the heroic Willoughby— Delhi 
had fallen — the Mogul was restored! 

The grandson of Shah Alam looked on without a' protest 
at the butchery of Englishmen, women, and children within 
the palace where he himself, in 1788, had been tortured by 
order of the ruffian who had put out his grandfather's eyes. 
It was not long, however, before Muhammad Bahadur Shah 
and his family reaped the reward of their weakness or their 
crimes. An aveuging force of Englishmen, Seikhs and Goor- 
kas sat down before the blood-stained city, and after several 
months of hard fighting and stern endurance, the storming 
columns won their way through the breaches made by their 
guns, into a stronghold guarded by many times their own 
number. When we took possession of the fortified palace, 
on the 20th September, " it is related that a sentry was found 
at each gate, with his musket on his shoulder, grim and im- 
movable, prepared for his doom." ''The British standard 
was hoisted, and the Englishman celebrated his victory by 
ordering dinner in the Dewan-Khas, with its lustrous marble 

* Sir J. W. Kaye, 



122 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

walls and lovely arabesques,"* and realized as lie looked at the 
golden letters inlaid in the white marble under the cornice 
the truth of the famous inscription quoted by Moore — " If 
there is a Paradise on earth it is this — it is this." But where 
was the G-reat Mogul? The king with his family and thou- 
sands of armed retainers had removed to Hoomayoon's tomb, 
an enormous structure, a short distance beyond the walls of 
Delhi. Hodson, the fierce and renowned partisan leader, 
had sought and obtained leave to receive the sword of Baha- 
dour Shah. " So Hodson went forth from his resting-place, 
and stood out before all, in the open space near the beautiful 
gateway of the tombs, a solitary white man among so many, 
awaiting the surrender of the king and the total extinction 
of a dynasty the most magnificent that the world has ever 
seen."* The king was not allowed to return to the palace, 
but was placed in honorable confinement in a private dwell- 
ing. Next day Hodson with a hundred of his troopers re- 
ceived the surrender of three of the princes with thousands 
of their followers, but unfortunately when near Delhi, fearing 
an attempt to rescue the princes, he deliberately shot the 
Shazadas with his own hand, thus dimming the lustre of his 
recent conduct, which had been noble and heroic. Two of 
these unhappy princes had in the words of Sir Archdale Wil- 
son '^ been most virulent agaiust us," and several other 
princes of the family were afterwards caught and hanged for 
the part they had borne in the massacres of May. The sen- 
tence of death passed some months later on the king himself, 
was commuted into one of transportation for life, and the 
white-haired convict disappeared from the scene of his an- 
cestral glories to end his days in a distant corner of Pegu. 

The grand reception given to the Prince of Wales at the 
old imperial city will long be held in remembrance, as it con- 
centrated, as it were, in one view the past, the present, and 
the future. The old Mogul nobility, the magnificent palaces 
and mosques of their once imperial house were in the assured 
possession of the stranger, when artillery, infantry, and cav- 
alry, in splendid array, ushered in the prince, their future 
emperor, from whose gracious bearing they might gather 
happy omens for the future. The prince, before quitting 
Delhi, held a grand review of all arms on that ever-memora- 
ble ridge, some of the troops and ofiicers occupying the points 
they held so bravely during the siege; and as he rode along 

* Sir J. W. Kaye. 



m-DlA AKD HEE ITEIGHBOES. 123 

the line of British soldiers, the haughtiest and most energetic 
of native princes was proud to ride on the right hand of the 
English prince, and avow himself the faithful servant of our 
queen. 

At Delhi, on the 1st of January, 1877, Queen Victoria was 
proclaimed Empress of India by Lord Lyfcton, her viceroy, in 
the presence of her vassal kings and long-descended princes, 
with their armed retainers and clansmen around them; some 
arrayed in complete armor like the Paladins of old, some in 
gorgeous raiment, stiff with barbaric pearl and gold; all this 
mighty host stood forth with drooping banners in homage to 
their empress. 

Old imperial Delhi has witnessed many a grand and stirring 
spectacle, but not in the palmiest days of Shah Jehan or 
Arungzebe was there such an array of princely splendor, or 
loyalty to the imperial throne so significant. 

Note —Delhi, besides beingr for agfes the seat of empire, has ever from its ^eo- 
^raphical position commanded a mighty trade— its bankers and merchants being 
tamed tor their riches and extensive commercial relations-its jewelry and eni- 
broidery being preferred to all others. Within the walls of Delhi there are the 
termini of threelines of railway-the East Indian, from Calcutta, the Rajputana 
btate hne from Bombay, and the terminus of the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi railway 



124 IN"DIA AKD HEE KEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

PROGEESS OF BEITISH EULE li^ INDIA — continued. 

NOETHWEST PEOYIKCES, PUIsTJAB AKD SCINDE. 
Paneeput — Meerut — Simla — Umritsur — Lahore — ^Peshawur — Mooltau 
— Sukkur, Bukker, and Roree — Shikarpore — Jacobabad — ^Dadur — 
Hyderabad — Kurracliee. 

Paneeput.— On the not far distant plains (from Delhi) of 
Paneeput, the drama of empire was enacted over and over 
again. On those plains, Baber and his Moguls overthrew, in 
1526, the hosts of Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the old Pathan 
kings of Delhi, and so founded the dynasty which, wnih one 
brief interval, held its sway, for the next two hundred and 
fifty years. Thirty years later, on the same field, the youth- 
ful Akbar crushed out the last hopes of the rival Afghan 
dynasty of Shir Shah. In 1761, the field of Paneeput wit- 
nessed the shock of two great armies fighting over the death- 
stricken body of the Mogul Empire. The victory won by 
Ahmed Shah's Afghan and Mogul warriors on that day of 
terrible slaughter, proved equally fatal to the House of Baber, 
and to the growth of that Mahratta empire which Sivajee and 
his successors had striven to rear on the ruins of that of the 
Mogul. This celebrated battle, which permanently affected 
the fate of the Moguls and Mahrattas, removed many ob- 
structions from the path of the continually advancing and 
victorious British, and well merits a passing notice. 

The Mahrattas having invaded the Punjab, roused the 
resentment of the Abdallee E ing of Afghanistan, who once 
more crossed the Indus at the head of his fierce and veteran 
horsemen. 

Ahmed Shah, who had bee' ^ a man of war from his youth, 
was at the time the most renc vned general in Asia, far-seeing, 
patient, skilful, indefatigable, prompt, and resolute. Seda- 
sheo Eao Bhow,* his Mahra^"'\a opponent, without experience 

* Bhow— a Hindoo title. 



IKDIA A^B HEE NEIGHBOKS. 125 

in war, was imperious, contemptuous, and headstrong, but 
brave in action. 

The forces were about equal, leaving out of calculation the 
clouds of irregular horsemen which hovered about both 
armies. K"othing could be more simple than the dress, arms, 
and camp equipage of the northmen, while the men of the 
south, with their officers decked out in cloth of gold (degen- 
erate sons of the great Sivajee), they emulated in all their 
appointments the splendor of the Mogul glories of bygone 
days with their vast pavilions, the gilded tops of which were 
never again to reflect the slanting rays of the evening sun to 
welcome the return of the doomed warriors, who now, 
humbled by famine, were sadly and sternly prepared for the 
worst; and what a contrast did they present to the proud and 
glittering array which entered that encampment only a few 
short weeks before! 

The Mahrattas were in a camp strongly entrenched, and 
began to suffer from the want of supplies, when the Bhow 
sent a letter to his friend, the Nawab of Oude, who was ne- 
gotiating for terms with the Afghan king. '' The cup is now 
full to the brim, and cannot hold another drop. If anything 
can be done, do it, or else answer me plainly at once; here- 
after there will be no time for writing or speaking." 

When the Mahrattas were reduced to their last meal, they 
issued forth from camp determined, as they swore, to conquer 
or die. To quote the words of Grant Duff, ^' The ends of 
their turbans were let loose, their hands and faces were 
anointed with a preparation of turmeric, signifying that they 
were come forth to die; and everything seemed to bespeak 
the despondency of sacrifice prepared, instead of victory de- 
termined;" but their ancient valor and ela7i did not desert 
them in this extremity. They came on like a whirlwind, 
and for a moment the fierce onset of the Mahratta horse ap- 
peared to shake the tried veterans of the Abdallee, and in 
some portions of the field to force them to give ground ; but 
the tenacity and strength of the north, aided by a skilful 
general, prevailed against the misdirected, fiery, and impetu- 
ous valor of the" south. The victory was complete. The 
general -in-chief of the Mahrattas, and the Peishwa's son, 
with Scindia, and many men of note, fell on this fatal field. 
The renowned Holkar fled. Maharastra was filled with 
mourning, and the spirit of the people appeared crushed. 

Thenceforth India lay at the mercy of any power strong 



136 INDIA Al^B HEE i^EIGHBOKS. 

enongh to take advantage of fclie weakness and confusion 
caused by the rout of Paneeput, and the conqueror's subse- 
quent retreat to his own country. Four years later the victor 
of Plassy, Olive, became the virtual master of Bengal, while 
his conntrymen in Southern India, fresh from the death-blow 
they had inflicted on their French rivals, were already march- 
ing forward on the path of assured dominion. 

Meeriit. — Forty miles to the north of Delhi lies Meerut, 
famed for its cheerful hospitality and rich verdure. Here the 
mutiny first showed itself red-handed with fire and slaughter 
of the helpless, and here, too, with the most magnificent 
brigade of Europeans — horse, foot, and artillery — the frantic 
sepoys were allowed to escape, to put the garrison and Bud- 
mashes of Delhi into a blaze of rebellion, which was the sig- 
nal for a conflagration all over the country. As remarked in 
a preceding chapter, if that handful of native cavalry which 
led the revolt had been either crushed in their lines, or pur- 
sued even to within the gates of Delhi, what blood and treas- 
ure, what unspeakable anguish to English hearts and homes, 
might have been spared! 

Simla, &G, — Proceeding northwards, past Kurnaul and 
Umballa, we cross the low Sewalik Eange that forms an out- 
work to the Himalayas, and winding up by the hill-station 
of Dugshai, arrive at last on the wooded slopes of Simla, 
towering from eight to nine thousand feet above the level of 
the sea, in full sight of the great central range, its icy pin- 
nacles glistening in the silent air as far as the eye could 
reach. Amidst the deodars and rhododendrons of this In- 
dian Capua, the rulers of India, and as many as possible of 
their countrymen, spend the hot and rainy months of each 
year, recruiting mind and body with the breezy air, health- 
ful exercise, much cheerful society, and all the silent in- 
fluences of grand mountain scenery. Ever since the days of 
Lord Dalhousie, Simla has been the usual headquarters of 
the Indian government for more than half the year. Dar- 
jeeling, on the borders of Sikhim, is the summer retreat of 
the Government of Bengal, Ninee Tall, in Kamaon, for that 
of the Northwest Provinces, and Murree, on a lower range 
of the Himalayas, beyond Eawalpindee, of the Government of 
the Punjab. At the last-named hill-station, as well as Kis- 
aulee, Dugshai, Subathoo, and Landour, English troops and 
invalids are generally quartered. 

Umritsiir,— The road from Simla eastward, brings ua 



IKDIA AKI) HEK NEIGHBORS, 127 

across the Sutlej at Eupur, where Lord Auckland had a 
courtly meeting with Eunjeet-Singh, to Jullunder, chief town 
of the district occupied by us after the first Seikh war. On 
the line of the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Eailway thence^ to 
Lahore lies Umritsur, the sacerdotal and commercial capital 
of the Punjab, the Holy City of the Seikhs, famous for its 
temples, its sacred tank, *'*Amrita-Saras," or Fountain of 
Nectar, and its commercial wealth and enterprise; its mer- 
chants having extensive business relations with Central Asia, 
on one hand, and on the other with Calcutta and Kurrachee, 
its industries include the manufacture of calicoes, silks, and 

shawls. 

Lahore.— hdi\iOYQ, the political capital of the Punjab, lies 
on the Eavee, and embraces within its walls a circuit of seven 
miles. Like other cities that lay in the path of invaders 
from beyond the Lidus, Lahore had for many centuries been 
held by the Heutenants of successive dynasties, from the days 
of Mahmud of Ghuzni until it became the capital of the con- 
solidated and powerful kingdom of Eunjeet Singh, whose 
ashes lie nobly enshrined close to the citadel where he dwelt. 
Euins of former cities may be seen for miles round the pres- 
ent capital, which still contains about 100,000 inhabitants, 
and possesses mosques, temples, and palaces of interest and 
magnitude. The Emperor Jehangire lies buried across the 
Eavee, in a stately tomb surmounted by four tall minarets. 
ISTorth of the city are the Shalimar Gardens, where Shah 
Jehan and his ladies were wont to enjoy the cool shade of 
marble-floored summer-houses, made cooler by the playing of 
numberless fountains. Entered by Lord Gough's troops in 
1846, Lahore was finally placed under our rule in 1849, when 
the whole Punjab became ours by right of conquest, and the 
boy-successor to the throne of Eunjeet Sing became in Eng- 
land a happy and honored country gentleman. During the 
eventful year of 1857 the Punjab was ruled by a noble band 
of Englishmen, Lawrence, Montgomery, Macleod, George 
Barnes, Edward Thornton, Douglas Eorsyth, Macpherson, 
Corbet, Sydney, Cotton, John Nicholson, and Herbert Ed- 
wardes. In the absence of their chief the dire calamity 
broke out in various stations, when a few of these men took 
counsel together and decided on the complete disarmament of 
the large force of native soldiers at Lahore; and this was done 
so well that no blood was shed and no murmur was heard. 
The armorers and cutlers of Lahore have been long cele- 



128 INDIA AKD HER Is'EIGHBORS. 

brated for their swords and other implements of war. The 
reception of the Prince of Wales was very striking, from the 
noble stature and bearing of the chiefs and their retainers, 
many of them being sheathed in armor. 

Peshawur, — From Lahore the main road takes ns north- 
westward across the Land of the Five Elvers, by Gnjerat, the 
last great battle-field of the Seikhs and English; Jhelum, 
where Alexander and Porus fought and Sir Walter Gilbert led 
his flying column in chase of the routed Seikhs; Eawal Pindi, 
where the last of the Seikh veterans gave up their arms; 
across the Indus at Attok, where Gilbert's guns and cavalry 
nearly caught up the retreating Afghans — to Peshawur, which 
overlooks the mouth of the formidable Khyber Pass, forced 
so brilliantly in 1842 by the Sepoy and English soldiers of Sir 
George Pollock. This city, built by Akbar, and afterwards 
the seat of an Afghan dynasty, from whose hands it was 
wrested by Eunjeet Singh, is still important as the great 
frontier outpost, or watch-tower, of British India. Here, as 
at Lahore, a great danger was timely averted in 1857, by the 
tact and courage of British ofl&cers entrusted with the task of 
disarming a whole brigade of Sepoys before they could rise 
against our countrymen. 

Mooltan, — Mooltan, on the lower Ohenab, contains some 
80,000 inhabitants, and carries on a thriving trade in silks, 
shawls, brocades, and cotton cloths of its own making. Its 
history may be^ traced back to the time of Alexander, if the 
Malli whom he conquered lived in Mooltan. In the eighth 
century of our era it was taken by the Arabs, by Mahmud of 
Guzni in the eleventh, by Timur in the fourteenth, and by 
Eunjeet Singh in 1818. The murder of two English officers 
here in 1848 by order of the Seikh governor, Mulraj, brought 
on the second Seikh war, in which Herbert Edwardes won 
his first laurels by driving Mulraj back into his stronghold, 
and keeping him there until a British force came up to com- 
plete the work he had begun. During the mutiny of 1857, 
two Sepoy regiments were here disarmed by a mere handful 
of English gunners. The railway links Mooltan with Lahore, 
and a like connection with Kurrachee will be completed when 
the ^'missing link" is constructed between Mooltan and Ko- 
tree, the upper terminus of the Scinde line, opposite Hydra- 
bad, on the Indus. 

SMharpore. — A populous town about twenty miles from 



IKDIA X'ST) HER ]!TEIGHEORS. 129 

Sukkur,* on the route from Scinde to Kliorasan and Afglian- 
istan by Dadur, the Bolan Pass and Quetta. Ifc is renowned 
for the extent of its banking relations over the East. 

The subjoined account, though long, is not only so pictur- 
esque, but so illustratiye of the personal characteristics of the 
tribes and nations on the N.W. frontier, that I transfer it 
without abridgement. 

The G-reat Bazar, or main street, almost bisects the city. 
"We have specimens of at least a dozen nations, not including 
ourselves. The little Brahui, with his flat face, broad limbs, 
and stalwart shoulders, clothed in a robe of camel's hair, 
stands gazing like an Epicurean at the tempting store of the 
halwai or confectioner. Knots of Afghans are chaffering 
noisily about the value of their horses, ponies, and dromeda- 
ries. You may see what these men are by their tall, large 
forms, eager utterance, fiery eyes, and energetic gestures. 
Though not allowed to carry arms, their hands are deep in 
their waistbands, as if feeling for the wonted charay, the 
long, single-edged dagger which they use with such effect. It 
is about the size of the old Eoman sword, and it speaks vol- 
umes for the stout-heartedness of the wielders. The wild, 
sun-blackened Beloch, whose grizzled locks and scarred cheek 
tell mutely eloquent tales of the freebooter's exciting life, 
measures the scene with a gaze that means ^ what a waste of 
loot!' or turns, with the action of a cat-o'-mountain, upon 
the running footman preceding that pulpy Sindi rider in the 
brocaded cap and dress of padded cbnitz: the 'flunkey' has 
taken the liberty of pushing the knight of the road out of 
the way. The huge and brawny Mulla from Swat, an East- 
ern friar of Copmanhurst, all turban and kammerband (waist- 
shawl), the clerical calotte and cassock of El-Islam, looks 
down with infinite depreciation upon the puny Sindis, 
amongst whom he has come to live and thrive. Fierce, bul- 
lying Pathans, the Afghan Hialf-castes ' of the plains, dis- 
pute with smooth-tongued Persian traders: Kandahar meets 
Multan, intent only upon capping cheating by cheating; the 
tall turlDan of Jaysalmir nods to the skull-cap of Peshin, and 
the white calico sleeve of Kackh and Gujerat is grasped by 
the hairy claw of Kelat. Now a grimy Moslem cook pours a 
ladleful of thick oil upon a fizzing mass of kababs, whose 
greasy steams, floating down the Bazar, attract a crowd of 

* Sukkur is on the right bank of the Indus and Roree on the left, with Bukkur, 
a rocky island, between them. This is the point at which it is proposed to bridge 
the river for the Indua Valley Railway, 



130 INDIA AND HEK NEIGHBORS. 

half -famished ryot navvies and ditchers, to enjoy, in imagina- 
tion, the 'pleasures of the table.' Then a smooth-faced Lo- 
hana asks you forty rupees for a s^oat-tog chogheh, or cloak, 
whose worn condition reduces its value to twelve or less. 

**Here, a Bhatiya vendor of dried fruits, sugar, spices, 
opium, and hemp — the tout ensemble fragrant as a druggist's 
shop in the dog days — dispenses his wares to a knot of Jat 
matrons and maidens, with a pair of scales and a set of 
weights which would make justice look her sternest. And 
thej*e grim Indine Chalybes — blacksmiths, tinmen, braziers, 
and others — are plying their ringing, clanging, clattering, 
clashing trade in a factitious temperature of ISO'^ Fah., and 
in close proximity of a fire that would roast a lamb. 

" Yet heard through all this din is the higher din of the 
human voice undivine. Every man deems it his duty on 
'Change to roar, rather than to speak — none may be silent — 
even the eaters of pistachios and the smokers of tobacco 
must periodically open their throats to swell the clamor float- 
ing around them. Except when the crafty Hindus transact 
business with fingers, hidden under a sheet, not a copper 
piece changes hand without a dozen offers and refusals, an 
amount of bad language and a display of chapmanship highly 
curious to the Western observer. 

" The typical man (of the Shikarpuri Hindus proper) is a 
small, lean, miserable-looking wretch, upon whose wrinkled 
brow and drawn features, piercing black eyes, hook nose, 
thin lips, stubbly chin and half-shaven cheeks of crumpled 
parchment, avarice has so impressed her signet, that every 
one who sees may read. His dress is a tight little turban, 
once, but not lately, white, and a waistcloth in a similar pre- 
dicament; his left shoulder bears the thread of the twice- 
born, and a coat of white paint, the caste-mark, decorates 
his forehead. Behind his ear sticks a long reed pen, and his 
hand swings a huge rosary — token of piety, forsooth! That 
man is every inch a Hindu trader. He may own, for aught 
we know, lakhs of rupees; you see that he never loses an op- 
portunity of adding a farthing to them. He could, perhaps, 
buy a hill principality with a nation of serfs; yet he cringes 
to every Highlander who approaches his cloth-shelves, or his 
little heaps of silver and copper, as though he expected a 
blow from the freeman's hand. Scarcely a Moslem passes 
without a muttered execration upon his half-shaven pate, 
adown whose sides depend long love-locks, and upon the 



IKiDIA AKD KER KEIGHBOBS. 131 

drooping and ragged mustachios covering the orifice which 
he uses as a month. There is a villainous expressioii in Shy- 
lock's eyes, as the fierce fanatics void their loathing upon him; 
but nothing in the world would make him resent or return 
slight for slight — nothing but an attempt to steal one of his 
coppers, or to carry off a pennyworth of cloth. 

'^ This Shikarpuri, having few or no home manufactures, 
began long ago to devote his energies to banking, and in less 
than half a century he overspread the greater part of inner 
Asia. From Turkey to China, from Astrachan to Cape 
Comorin, there was hardly a considerable commercial town 
that had not its Shikarpuri or the Shikarpuri's agent. 

" The fair sex at Shikarpur, both Moslem and Hindu, has 
earned for itself an unenviable reputation; perhaps we can 
hardly be surprised by the fact. The women are far-famed 
for beauty, the result of mixing with higher blood — for 
freedom of manners amounting to absolute "fastness" — and 
for the grace with which they toss the kheno or ball. These 
attractions have often proved irresistible to the wild High- 
landers that flock to the low country, bringing for sale their 
horses, woollens, and dried fruits. You will see more than 
one half -naked, half -crazy beggar, who, formerly a thriving 
trader, has lost his all for the love of some Shikarpuri syren. 
By these exploits the fair dames have more than once involved 
their lords in difficult and dangerous scrapes. Moreover, 
when the young husband that was, returns home old and 
gray, to find a ready-made family thronging the house, scan- 
dals tvill ensue — there are complaints and scoldings; perhaps 
there is a beating or two before matrimonial peace and quiet 
are restored. The Hindus of the other Indine cities have 
often proposed to place their northern brethren under a ban 
till they teach their better halves better morals. " * 

Jacoiabad and Dadur, the former the headquarters of the 
renowned Scinde horse, called after the celebrated General 
John Jacob, who reclaimed the land from the desert, planted 
it with trees, and adorned it with flowers and shrubs; but it 
has become unhealthy and its existence imperilled by rivers 
in the vicmity changmg their beds; a more stable site for the 
cantonment appears desirable. Dadur is a small town near 
the mouth of the Bolan Pass and about sixty-five miles from 
Jacobabad, and the proper terminus of the long-needed rail- 
way from Sukkur. 

* "Scinde Revisited," by Captain Richard Burton, 1877. 



132 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

Hydrabad. — Hydrabad, the old capital of Scinde, lies on 
the left bank of the Indus, not far from the ancient Tatta at 
the top of the delta, where the sailors of Nearchus were so 
alarmed by the, noise of the rushing tide in the narrow creeks, 
which they mistook for the roar of monsters of the deep, 
coming to swallow them up. Hyderabad is in communica- 
tion with Mooltan and other places by means of steamers and 
native craft on the Indus, and is opposite Kotree, the upper 
terminus of the Scinde Eailway, being a little more than 100 
miles from Kurrachee, through which it has access to the 
sea. Its artisans are noted, among other things, for their 
skill in making swords, matchlocks, and various other kinds 
of arms. It was near this city that Napier's small force 
routed the numerous and brave Belooche troops, the famed 
*^ barbarian swordsmen " of the Scinde Ameers, in February, 
1843, and so brought the whole province under British rule, 
and enabled him to say — peccavi I 

Kurracliee. — But the most important city in that part of 
India is Kurrachee, on the Arabian Sea, near the low range 
of hills which divides Scinde from Beloochistan. During the 
last thirty years its growth in size and commercial impor- 
tance, as the main outlet for the trade of Scinde and the Pun- 
jab and adjacent territory, has been largely aided by the vast 
improvements made in its harbor, under the direction of Mr. 
W. Parkes, consulting engineer for the harbor to the Secre- 
tary of State for India. The Scinde Eailway connects Kur- 
rachee with Kotree on the Indus, and when the line is ex- 
tended to Mooltan, Kurrachee, from its geographical position 
as the European port of India, and its unrivaled accessibility 
during the prevalence of the southwestern monsoons, will 
command much of the trade which now finds its way from 
the Punjab and N.W. Provinces to Calcutta on the one hand 
and Bombay on the other. Already ships of very large ton- 
nage can enter and lie in its harbor at any part of the year, 
and more than a thousand vessels, including coasters, now 
yearly enter the port of Kurrachee. 

Having given an outline of the progress, of British rule in 
India, and some description of the chief actors in the crowded 
arena of politics and war, as well as a glance at the places 
where great battles had been fought, or revolutions accom- 
plished, it might be well, before turning to the summary of 
the acts of the several governors-general, or to the subse- 
quent chapter on the Native States, to remind the reader of 



IKDIA AKD HEE ]S"EIGHBOES. 183 

tlie provinces immediately subject to the Britisli crown. 
The division of British India into three presidencies, Ben- 
gal, Madras, and Bombay, has been modified by the division 
into provinces, each ruled by a lieutenant-governor or chief 
commissioner. Madras and Bombay retain on the whole 
their former limits, but the over-grown presidency of Ben- 
gal has been broken up into Bengal proper, Assam, and 
British Burmah, the Northwest Provinces, and the Punjab; 
to which may be added the Central Provinces, formed out of 
the old Sagur and ISTerbudda districts, the lapsed Mahratta 
State of Nagpore, and part of Bundlechund. Each of these 
provinces represents a certain phase in the conquering career 
of the grand old East India Company. 



134 IKDIA AKB HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

SUMMARY — GOVERInTORS-GEKERAL. 
FROM PL ASSY, 1757, TO PROCLAMATION^ OP QUEElf VICTORIA 

AS EMPRESS OP IKDIA, 1877. 

Clive — Governor of Bengal — Warren Hastings, first Governor-General 
— Lord Cornwallis — Lord Teignmouth — Lord Wellesley — Lord Min- 
to — Lord Hastings — Lord Amherst — Lord William Bentinck — Lord 
Auckland — Lord Ellenborough — Lord Hardinge — Lord Dalhousie — 
Lord Canning, first Viceroy — Lord Elgin — Lord Lawrence — Lord 
Mayo — Lord Northbrook — ^Lord Lytton. 

Uktil the battle of Plassy, in 1757, the progress of the 
British in India was little better than a series of obscure, if 
heroic struggles, for leave to trade, and to defend their lim- 
ited possessions against the exactions and capricious tyranny 
of the native rulers of the country, or the jealousy of foreign 
rivals in eastern enterprize. 

The battle of Plassy was the turning point of our fortunes, 
the commencement of our dominion. Clive, the Warwick of 
the time, deposed one king of Bengal and set up another. 

In 1759 the Dutch squadron was captured in the Hooghly; 
while in the following two years the French were defeated at 
Wandewash by Sir Eyre Ooote, they were driven out of the 
Oarnatic, and by the fall of Pondicherry, their power was an- 
nihilated. 

In subsequent years the British, with ever-advancing 
standards, take Moorshedabad, Monghyr, and Patna, and 
after defeating the Emperor Shah Alam II. and the Viceroy 
of Oude, aided by the ex-Nawab of Bengal, Meer Oossim, 
had the power hitherto exercised by right of conquest legally 
confirmed by an imperial edict constituting them the im- 
perial Dewans or collectors of revenue for the provinces of 
Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, on payment of a moderate tribute. 

In 1767 Olive leaves India, and Hyder Ali, the 'Sultan of 
Mysore, appears in the field, and two years afterwards he 



li^-DIA AKD HEE KEIGHBORS. 136 

suddenly approaches Madras when a peace is arranged. He 
said, "I do not fear the English from what I see, but from 
what I do not see!" 

Warren Hastings, 1772-85, the first goYernor-general, dis- 
continues payment of tribute to the Emperor of Delhi. 
During his reign the Eohillas were defeated; Salsette fell to 
our arms. Colonel Maclean, the agent of Hastings in Eng- 
land, tendered his resignation in consequence of dissatisfac- 
tion of Home Authorities, wliich is accepted, but Hastings 
repudiates the act of his agent and retains his high ofiice. 
About the same time Lord Pigot, Governor of Madras, is un- 
lawfully arrested by his own council and dies. Eenewal of 
war with Erance; Pondicherry capitulates to General Munro. 
In 1780 Captain Popham carries Gwalior by escalade; Bas- 
sein surrenders to Goddard. Scindia is defeated by Carnac 
and granted favorable terms. Colonel Baillie's force is cut 
to pieces by Hyder Ali. Sir Eyre Coote takes command of 
Madras army and defeats Hyder Ali in repeated engage- 
ments. In the same year, 1781, the Dutch settlements in 
India and Ceylon were taken by the English. Cheyt Singh, 
Eajah of Benares, deposed by Hastings with extraordinary 
coolness and resolution, under most perilous circumstances. 

Braithwaite's force annihilated by Tippoo Sultan. Naval 
engagement with Erench without result. Death of Hyder 
Ali. Hastings concludes a treaty favorable to England with 
Oude, and aids in spoliation of the Begums. 

In 1783 the brave and distinguished veteran Sir Eyre Coote 
sinks under infirmity and the toils of war. There is peace 
with the Erench, but war with Tippoo Sultan, which was 
concluded in the following year. 

Various accusations were brought against Hastings, and the 
chief accuser was a Brahman, Kajah Nuncomar, who was 
himself soon after found guilty of forgery and hanged. 

Besides the conquest of Eohilchund, Hastings was involved 
in many and great wars with the Mahrattas and Hyder Ali of 
Mysore, and sent at a critical moment, as already mentioned, 
with that prescience for which he was remarkable, a small 
force, under Colonel Goddard, from Calcutta to Surat, which, 
in the face of many difficulties, it effected, having defeated 
the armies of Scindia and Holkar, and taken Bassein by 
assault. 

It was to meet the expenditure incurred by these wars that 



136 INDIA AN"D HEE NEIGHBOES. 

he was led to demand the large sums of money from the Rajah 
of Benares and the Begums of Oude. 

However we may deplore the means used for raising funds 
necessary for carrying on to* a successful issue the great de- 
signs of the goyernor-general, he acted with a single eye to 
promote the prosperity and glory of his country hy consoli- 
dating and extending its dominion, over whose destiny he 
watched with a vigilance that never slumbered, a resolution 
that never faltered, or enquired too nicely into the means to 
attain the end. 

In 1785 Hastings returns to England, and in 1787 is form- 
ally impeached by the Commons before the House of Peers, 
when Burke and Sheridan deliver most eloquent orations, and 
in 1795 he is acquitted, but financially almost ruined by the 
expense of the trial, and was allowed to live and die utterly 
neglected by the government. In extreme old age, when he 
appeared to give evidence at the bar of the House of Com- 
mons, every head was uncovered by a simultaneous impulse 
to do reverence to the great patriot and statesman. 

Lord Cormvallis, 1787-93. — After an interval of two years 
Lord Cornwallis was appointed governor-general, and in 
1791 takes command of the army in the field, defeats Tippoo 
Sultan under the walls of his capital, Seringapatam, and 
many strong places surrender to his arms. In the following 
year he appears again before Seringapatam, when Tijopoo 
gives two of his sons as hostages, cedes territory, and pays a 
large sum of money. 

But however successful as a soldier. Lord Cornwallis is bet- 
ter remembered in connection with the permanent settlement 
of the land tax in Bengal. 

Lord Cornwallis was for his eminent services raised to a 
marquisate. 

Sir John Sliore, Lord Teignmouth^ 1795-98, who carried 
out the non-intervention policy of the court of directors, the 
period of his rule was not distinguished by very important 
events; however, he was neither deficient in promptitude nor 
courage when he felt he was called upon to interfere in the 
deposition of the illegitimate and worthless Nawab JSTasir Ali, 
of Oude, in the face of a dangerous opposition. Sir John 
Shore was elevated to the peerage as Lord Teignmouth, and 
sailed from India in March, 1798. 

Lord Mornington, Marquis Wellesley, 1798-1805, com- 
menced his magnificent rule in 1798, which was adorned by 



IITDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 137 

the victories of Lord Lake, Sir Arthur' Wellesley, and other 
great commanders. 

In the beginning of this century the sway of the British 
extended over Rohilchund and part of Oude. Lord "Welles- 
ley's wars with the Mahrattas issued in the conquest of the 
fertile plains between the Jumna and the Ganges, from Oawn- 
pore up to Delhi and Meerut, in 1803. 

Lord Wellesley's far-reaching imperial policy which em- 
braced within its scope Europe as well as Asia, not only 
added kingdom after kingdom to the extent of our dominion, 
but elevated at critical periods of our history the power and 
glory of the British name. 

By the destruction of Tippoo Saib, the ruthless tyrant of 
Seringapatam, and his dynasty; by the reduction of the pre- 
tensions of the Soubadar of the Deccan, the ISTizam of Hydra- 
bad; by the protection and restoration of the Peishwah; by 
the overthrow of the great Mahratta leaders, Scindia, the 
Kajah of Berar, and Holkar; by the rescue and protection of 
the blind, aged, and helpless Emperor of Hindustan, no 
rival, whether European or native, was left in the field to 
contest our supremacy. 

Lord "Wellesley, after having for seven years performed 
magnificent service to his country, and having in an eminent 
degree displayed all the kingly virtures, was elevated to a 
marquisate, but so mole eyed were the Court of Directors in 
Leadenhall street, or so intent on profits and bills of lading 
that thirty years elapsed before they understood the magni- 
tude of the services of their governor-general; at all events 
that period, the life of a generation, elapsed before they 
made him any acknowledgment. 

Lord Cornwallis in 1805 resumed his high office, but only 
to die. He was succeeded provisionally by Sir George Bar- 
low, whose timid policy of non-intervention and in making 
peace on too favorable terms with those with whom the great 
Lord Wellesley had been at war, left the brave Eajpoots, the 
allies of England, to the tender mercies of the Mahrattas, 
their old enemies and persecutors. 

During this ill-omened reign the Yellore mutiny occurred. 

Lord Minto, 1807-13. — During this period the war be- 
tween the Erench and English raged with great fury, and the 
troops of the latter took from the Erench and their allies all 
their possessions in the East, including Bourbon and Mau- 



138 INDIA A5?^D HER NEIGHBORS. 

ritius. At this time, also, the rich Island of Java was wrested 
from the Dutch. 

Piracy in the Persian Grulf was suppressed. Sir John Mal- 
colm was sent on a mission to Persia, and Mr. Mountstuart 
EJphinstone to Afghanistan. 

The Seikhs at this time had risen to be a formidable power 
in the Punjab, under the Lion of Lahore, Runjeet Singh, 
and it was apprehended that France and Russia might stir up 
the Shah of Persia, the Ameers of Afghanistan and Scinde, 
and our formidable neighbor, Runjeet Singh, to form a con- 
federacy against us. 

Lord Minto, notwithstanding these sinister auguries, formed 
friendly treaties with all these potentates. 

Lord Moira, Margins of Hastings, 1814-23. — After the 
great wars of Lord Wellesley the land had still to be sub- 
dued. New quarrels with native rulers inyolved new con- 
quests. The hill tracts of Kumaon were wrested, in 1815, 
from the insolent and aggressive Nepaulese. Three years 
later Ajmere, the Sagur and Nerbudda districts, passed under 
our rule. 

Lord Moira was a distinguished soldier of noble character, 
whose prolonged reign of nine years was distinguished by 
many brilliant services, by the deposition of the Peishwa, by 
the crushing defeat of Scindia and Holkar, by the destruc- 
tion of the Pindarics (a powerful confederacy of savage free- 
booters), the elevation of the Nawab Yizier of Oude to the 
kingly dignity. 

While Lord Hastings was occupied with the Mahrattas and 
Pindarics, the King of Burmah sent an insolent message de- 
manding the cession of territory. The governor-general 
treated the letter as a forgery, saying he fully relied ujoon the 
good disposition of the king. The ruse succeeded, and, be- 
fore the king made a second demand, the Mahrattas and Pin- 
darics were disposed of, and his golden-footed majesty was 
speedily deprived of three of his best provinces. 

The prestige of the British name was not only greatly 
advanced by victories in the field against apparently over- 
whelming numbers, but many of the strongest fortresses in 
India submitted to our arms. The governor-general, who 
had also acted as the commander-in-chief, was created Mar- 
quis of Hastings, and left India amid the hearty good wishes 
and applause of all. 



IN"DIA AND HER KEIGHBOES. 139 

Lord Amherst, 1823-28. — First Burmese war, in wliicli 
the king cedes Assam, Arracan and Tenasserim; enlarging 
the boundaries of the great Bengal Presidency; with a heavy 
pecuniary indemnity. The storming of Bhurtpore by Lord 
Oombermere, in 1825. 

In 1827 Lord Amherst solemnly assured the Great Mogul in 
his palace at Delhi that the British were now the paramount 
power in India. 

Lord William Bentinch, 1828-35. — His administration 
was distinguished by peace within and without our border, 
and for social and economical reforms. The great act by 
which his name will be handed down to posterity, was the 
abolition of suttee, or self immolation of the wife on the death 
of the husband. He did much towards the extirpation of 
Thuggee, a tribe of professional murderers, by strangulation. 
At this time apj)eared Eamohun Eoy, who desired to reform 
his countrymen, especially in their religious views. He came 
to England as agent for the King of Delhi, and died at Bris- 
tol in 1833. 

Lord William Bentinck was very unpopular with the army, 
from having, in obedience to the court of directors, reduced 
the batta or field allowance. 

Lord AucMand, 1836-42. — In 1836 the British outposts 
overlooked the Sutlej at Ferozepore and Loodiana. Disas- 
ters occurred to our arms from interfering in the internal 
affairs of Afghanistan, with the view of counteracting the 
designs of Russia by deposing one king and setting up an- 
other, under the mistaken impression that Shah Sujah, the 
sovereign of our choice, was more popular than Dost Ma- 
honimed, the vigorous Ameer in chief. The retreat, suffer- 
ings and destruction of our little army cast a gloom not only 
over India but England, and taught our native soldiers and 
subjects a lesson fraught with future calamity, that we were 
7iot mvincihle. 

Lord Auckland's management of the finances was success- 
ful, and his administration otherwise showed ability of no 
common order, but the ill-fated Afghan campaign cast a cloud 
over an otherwise statesmanlike career. 

Lord Ellenhorough, 1842-44. — ^N'otwithstanding that the 
lustre of the British arms was dimmed by the retreat, the 
honor of England was gloriously upheld in Afghanistan by 
Nott in Candahar and by Sale"^ and the '^illustrious garri- 
son " at Jellalabad, that that honor was finally vindicated and 



140 IE"DIA AKD HEE KEIGHBORS. 

the prestige in a great measure restored, was mucli more 
owing to the conduct of the above-named commanders and 
the skill and determination of the relieving general, Sir George 
Pollock, than to the resolute councils of the new governor- 
general. Having reduced the strongholds of the country, de- 
feated the Afghans m every action, and released the prison- 
ers. Generals Pollock, Kott and Sale returned in triumpli to 
India and were received on the frontier by the goyernor-gen- 
eral with every circumstance of honor. Soon after this (1843) 
Sir Charles ^N'apier was sent to Scinde. He defeated the 
Ameers in two pitched battles. The country was annexed 
without just cause, as it would appear, albeit it has pros- 
pered under our rule. 

During the wars in Afghanistan and Scinde, the Mahrattas 
of Gwalior had been turbulent, in consequence of the child- 
hood of the Maharajah Scindia. They were defeated in two 
pitched battles on the same day. Maharajpore, where Sir 
Hugh Gough commanded, the other Punniar, where General 
Grey was the chief. 

Lord Ellenborough held opinions at variance with those of 
the Court of Directors of the East India Company. He 
treated them with disrespect, and, after an unusually short 
tenure of office, was suddenly recalled by the court, in virtue 
of the power vested in them. 

Lord Hardmge, 1844-47.— A distinguished soldier, who 
had seen much service in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, 
with the most peaceful intentions was compelled to go to war 
with the SeikhSj our old allies and neighbors, but jealous 
rivals for supremacy in India. 

Since the death of the old Lion of the Punjab in 1839, the 
country of the five rivers had been the scene of anarchy and 
revolution, resulting in the assassination of several members 
of the royal family, and of the chief men of the State. 

At length, having exterminated all the members of the 
family of Eunjeet Singh of mature age, the Sirdars placed on 
the throne his last descendant, Dhuleep Singh, a child of ten- 
der years. 

The Seikh army was at this time numerous, and disci- 
plined, with a magnificent artillery, while the physique and 
courage of the men were of the first order; they had con- 
quered in every field, and longed to cross swords with the 
British, and were not to be denied. The master's hand was 



<rKDlA AKD HER KEIGHBOES. 141 

gone, and tlie existing leaders were intriguing for tlie supreme 
power, which no one appeared strong enough to wield. 

The SeJkhs crossed the Sutlej (1846) and invaded British 
territory, when Sir Hugh Gough, Lord Hardinge, and Sir- 
Harry Smith hastened, with yery inferior forces, to driye 
them back over the boundary riyer, the Sutlej, which they 
succeeded in doing after fighting four pitched battles — Mood- 
kee, Feroshah, Aliwal, and Sobraon. 

The British army crossed the Sutlej, took possession of the 
citadel of Lahore, the young Maharajah, DhuleejD Singh, 
made his submission, peace was granted on moderate terms, 
Jullundur was annexed, and Cashmere was erected into a 
tributary State, on Golab Singh, of Jummu, paying £1,000,000 
sterling towards the expenses of the war. 

The latter portion of Lord Hardinge's tenure of his high 
office was adorned by his humane and successful efforts to 
suppress many cruel practices then prevalent amongst the 
aboriginal inhabitants in the remote fastnesses of India. 

Sir Henry Hardinge, after earning golden opinions of all, 
returned to England in 1847, having been elevated to the 
peerage as Viscount Hardinge. 

Lord Dailiousie, 1848-56. — Lord Dalhousie went to India 
with the most pacific views to promote its social and material 
prosperity, esj^ecially the cultivation and exportation of cot- 
ton; but soon the renewed turbulence and treachery of the 
Seikhs demanded the energetic action of the governor-gen- 
eral in the field of politics and war. 

Mulraj, the Seikh Governor of Mooltan, had been privy to 
the murder of two British officers; the Punjab was in feverish 
state, the old soldiers were mustering in secret; the heavy 
guns and other arms which had been buried were being dug 
up, and once more it was evident that the Khalsa, the old 
Seikh army, was determined to try again the fortune of war. 

Mooltan was taken by storm under General Whish; and 
Lord Gough, after fighting the bloody and indecisive battle of 
Ohilleanwallah, obtained, chiefly through the splendid way in 
which his artillery was served, a brilliant and complete vic- 
tory in the battle of Gujerat. 

Sir Walter Gilbert, with his fljang column, in hot pursuit, 
compelling the fugitives to surrender, and their Afghan 
cavalry allies, being well mounted, barely escaping to their 
own country by the Khyber Pass. 



142 IKDIA AKD HEK NBIGHBOES. 

The annexation of tlie Punjab was now (1849) determined. 
Once more the boy king sat upon his throne in the great hall 
of his palace, si^rrounded by his court and his Sirdars, and 
signed in full Durbar a treaty, resigning to the English the 
sovereignty of his country, receiving in return a pension small 
in comparison of the greatness of the sacrifice, and to that 
which was given to deposed potentates less entitled to con- 
sideration. 

The Seikhs have been amongst the most loyal subjects of 
the British crown, and their country has been prosperous and 
happy. The ever-widening circle of our rule continued to 
extend. 

The annexation of Pegu (1852) followed from injuries re- 
ceived at the hands of the King of Burmah; of ISTagpore, from 
the rajah having no heir; of Oude (1856) from the continued 
misery of the people by the misgovernment of the king; not 
to mention minor gains in Bundelchund and Sikkim. 

With the retirement, iji 1856, of Lord Dalhousie, the march 
of conquest may be said to have stopped. Very little, at 
least, has since been added to the empire, whose bounds he 
was but too ambitious of extending. Of all these conquests, 
there are very few which an impartial reader of British Indian 
history can condemn. 

While the boundaries of the empire were greatly enlarged, 
every effort was made to advance the social and material pros- 
perity of the people, the administration of justice was im- 
proved, colleges and schools were established, railways and 
telegraphs, roads and canals were extensively introduced. 

Lord Dalhousie may have erred in annexing territory, which 
sowed the seeds of future woe, but on the whole his reign was 
vigorous and brilliant, and he may fairly be considered the 
greatest of all the proconsuls after Lord Wellesley. 

Lord Dalhousie was rewarded by a marquisate, but he did 
not live long to enjoy it. He had indeed given his life for 
his country. 

Lord Canning, 1856-62. — The great event of Lord Can- 
ning's reign, indeed, in the whole history of India, was the 
revolt of the native army of Bengal. 

The alleged causes were the forcible conversion of Mahome- 
dans and Hindoos by the new cartridges, which were falsely 
said to be greased with the fat of pigs and cows, so as at once 
to defile Mahomedans and Hindoos alike; and that dM th^ 
native states were to be annexed, like Oude, 



' IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBOES. 143 

There may have been something in these rumors, but there 
were other causes at work. From their fine physique and 
soldierly qualities, we had pampered the Bengal Sepoy unduly, 
at .the same time by oar centralizing system we had taken 
away the power of reward and punishment from commanding 
ofiicers of regiments, and as an Asiatic likes to look upon the 
face of the man who has power over him, thus were old bonds 
between officer and soldier loosened. At the same time, we 
left much of our artillery and arsenals in their custody — 
notably Delhi. We had been massacred by the Afghans, and 
they, the Sepoys, had enabled us in our hard struggle with 
the Seikhs to get the victory. Why should they not fight as 
well without us as with us, and with our own arms and train- 
ing? Pandy had become a monstrously conceited fellow, and 
coveted the dignity and power of command, and would have 
it at any price. 

The main incidents of the mutiny are briefly told in the 
preceding chapters, but all who desire a full narrative are 
referred to the eloquent pages of Sir John W. Kaye. 

If Lord Canning was slow and reluctant to realize the 
gravity of the storm that was about to shako the empire to 
its basis, he met the tempest with calmness and resolution, 
and never for a moment lost his dignity and self-possession; 
and, when the danger was past, no one was more clement or 
generous. 

At this period the grand old East India Company became 
a thing of the past, and the governor-general became the 
viceroy of our queen. 

Among the last acts of Lord Canning was the granting of 
sunnuds or patents to the princes of India who had done 
good service, constituting them feudal nobles of the empire, 
and guaranteeing their rights and privileges, with power of 
adoption on failure of issue. 

On the 1st of November, 1858, Lord Canning issued in 
the queen's name the famous Proclamation which transferred 
the immediate sovereignty from the Company to the Crown, 
by which "Queen Victoria took the millions of India under 
her generous protection, and promised to govern them ac- 
cording to those beneficent maxims which have always distin- 
guished British rule. The Proclamation was translated into 
all the vernacular languages of India, and was read in every 
station and in every native court on the 1st of November, 
1858. Her majesty's kind words, full of grace and dignity, 



144 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBOKS. 

doubtless did mucii to reassure the minds of the people, and 
to convince them that the intentions of their English rulers 
were as just and benevolent as their military strength had 
recently proved to be irresistible."* 

Nothing can be finer than the closing words of the future 
Empress of India: ^^ When, by the blessing of Providence, 
the internal tranquillity shall be restored, it is our earnest 
desire to stimulate the peaceful industry of India, to promote 
works of public utility and improvement, and to administer 
the government for the benefit of all our subjects resident 
therein. In their prosperity will be our strength, in their 
contentment our security, and in their gratitude our best re- 
ward. And may the God of all power grant to us, and to 
those in authority under us, strength to carry out these our 
wishes for the good of our people." 

Shortly before leaving India, Lord Canning had to deplore 
the loss of Lady Canning, one of the most gracious and 
gifted ladies that ever visited India, and whose fair face and 
engaging demeanor spoke of hope and better times in the 
darkest hour of the mutiny. Lord Canning scarcely lived 
long enough to receive the cordial greeting of his country- 
men on his return from his arduous labors; but his lamented 
and premature death cannot be laid to the charge of India. 

Under the most trying ordeal, no one could have repre- 
sented England with more manliness and dignity than the 
first viceroy. 

Lord Canning, for his calm, dignified, and resolute gov- 
ernment of India, was rewarded by a step in the peerage. 

Lord Elgin, 1862-63, gave much promise of a useful and 
brilliant career, when his valuable life was suddenly termi- 
nated by a disease to which he was liable, and had nothing to 
do with the climate. 

Lord Lawrence, 1864-68. — Sir John Lawrence was re- 
warded by this high office for the eminent services he ren- 
dered his country when lieutenant-governor of the Punjab. 
His reign was honorably distinguished by the '' masterly in- 
activity" with which he abstained from meddling with the 
tanglecl yarn of Central Asian politics beyond our frontier. 
Sir John Lawrence on his return to England was elevated to 
the peerage as Lord Lawrence. 

Lord Mayo, 1869-72, succeeded Lord Lawrence, and ex- 

* Lethbridge's "Introduction to History of India." 



IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBOES. 145 

cited hopes of a bright future^ but was, to the regret of India 
and England, assassinated by a wretched fanatic. 

His noble stature and distinguished manners made an ex- 
traordinary impression on the natives of India. 

Lord NortMrooh, 1872-75, will long be remembered for 
his courage m abolishing the most unpopular, and most ab- 
horrent to Orientals, of all taxes, the income tax; he pro- 
moted many useful measures; and his efforts were successful 
in mitigating the horrors of the famine in Bengal in 1874. 

Lord ISTorthbrook had the honor of^receiving the Prince of 
Wales as his guest during his visit to India, and on resigning 
the viceroyalty was created an earl. 

Lord Lytton, 1876. — This accomplished nobleman had the 
high distinction of proclaiming her Majesty Queen Victoria 
as Empress of India at Delhi, on the first of January, 1877. 
It is earnestly to be hoped that circumstances may permit 
Lord Lytton to pursue the wise policy of his predecessors in 
his high office, of abstaining as much as possible from inter- 
meddling with Central Asian politics beyond our border. 
While these lines are being written, the viceroy, the Duke 
of Buckingham, Governor of Madras, and Sir Eichard Tem- 
ple, Governor of Bombay, are working together in the most 
harmonious and zealous manner to mitigate the distress of 
our fellow-subjects in India, resulting from famine and its 
consequences. 

The magnificent donation of half a million sterling from 
the people of England to ameliorate the distress of their fel- 
low subjects in India, with the noble devotion of all the 
queen's officers in India, from the viceroy downwards, must 
have broken through the icy barrier of caste of the Hindoo 
and the pride of place of the Englishman, and established a 
stronger feeling of mutual sympathy and regard, and made 
the rigid justice and inflexible rule of the heavy-handed En- 
glishman more acceptable to the mass of the people. 

How the educated natives appreciate our rule will be seen 
by the following extract from a recent speech of a Hindoo 
gentleman at a public meeting at Bombay in September, 1877. 

^'^I am sure that every sensible and well-informied man in 
this country is loyal. This country for many past centuries 
had no government deserving the name. There was neither 
internal peace nor security from foreign invasion. There 
was no power in India which could put a stop to the evil 
practices of sati, infanticide, religious suicide, and humau 



146 INDIA AKD HEE KEIGHBOKS. 

sacrifices. The whole nation presented a scene of stagnation 
and ignorance; but the case is now different. Under the 
auspices of a beneficent, ciyilized, and strong government, 
we have become progressive. Light and knowledge are pour- 
ing in upon the country. Old prejudices and errors are van- 
ishing. We therefore count it a great privilege to be loyal 
subjects of the Empress of India. There is now security of 
life and property, as perfect as human institutions can make 
it. Those who are old enough are aware of the plundering 
excursions of Pindaris, who, descending from the ghauts, 
spread terror in the Concans. These professional robbers 
have been extirpated by the British Government. We enjoy 
liberty of speech, petition, and press. We -enjoy the bless- 
ings of education, useful public works, internal peace, and 
freedom from foreign invasions." 

The events that have occurred since the abolition of the 
Government of the East India Company, with the exception 
of the great mutiny of 1857, did not, from their comparative- 
ly recent date, appear to demand more than a passing notice. 

A fair review of what happened from Plassy and Arcot, to 
the political death of the East India Company in 1858, when, 
as already stated, the onward march of the conqueror was 
stayed, is a record of achievements of which every English- 
man may well be proud. While the Court of Directors were 
preaching peace and commercial diligence, their servants in 
India were continually driven by circumstances, often unfore- 
seen and seldom hoped for, to play the part of statesmen and 
soldiers, to turn their factories into fortified towns, to gather 
revenue as well as trade profits, exhibiting all the nobler 
qualities of mighty conquerors, winning province after 
province from weak or hostile rulers, and finally to place all 
India with princes as its vassals at the feet of a Company 
which always shrank from taking the next step on the road 
to a consummation so wonderful, and, for the Company 
itself, so short-lived. The history of those hundred years, 
during which our countrymen and their Sepoy comrades bore 
the Company's flag from one end of India to the other, 
against the heaviest odds, over barriers the most appalling, is 
full of stirring appeals to the heart of every Englishman who 
takes an interest in his country's fortunes, and feels his blood 
warmed by a succession of great deeds in war and in council, 
deeds tarnished, on the whole, by few crimes and fewer re- 
verses. 



IKDIA AKD HEE Is^EIGHBOKS. 147 



CHAPTER XXrV. 

FEUDATOKY NATIVE STATES. — KAJPOOTAKA. 
Oodeypore — Jeypore — Joudhpore — Desert States. 

The Native States of India, if in that term we include 
every small chief ship or barony lying within onr borders, and 
subject more or less closely to British rule, number more than 
four hundred and sixty, and cover an area of about 600,000 
square miles, peopled on a rough reckoning by nearly fifty 
million souls. We may diyide them locally into twelve groups, 
arranged in the following order: 1. The Indo-Chinese group, 
as typified in Manipore and other small States bordering As- 
sam and Lower Bengal. 2. The aboriginal chiefships in 
Chota ISTagpore, Orissa, Jeypore (in Madras), and the Cen- 
tral Provinces. 3. The Native States, mostly Hindoo, which 
girdle the western Himalayas from Cashmere to Gurhwal 
and Rampore. 4. The Afghan tribes beyond the Indus. 
5. The Seikh States of Sihrind, such as Puttiala, Jhend, 
ISTabha, Nahan, and Kotgarh. 6. The Mahomedan States of 
Bhawulpore, and Khyrpore, in or close to Scinde. 7. The 
States and Chiefships of Malwa and BVindelchund, including 
the Mahratta States of Indore and Gwalior. 8. The Rajpoot 
kingdoms of Rajpootana. 9. The cluster of little States in 
Kattiawar and the northern half of Bombay. 10. The Mah- 
ratta and other States in the Concan and the Western Ghats, 
such as Kolapore and Sewant-Wari. 11. The great Maho- 
medan kingdom of Hyderabad; and 12. The old Malayan 
States of Travancore and Cochin in Southern India, to which 
may be added the Hindoo State of Mysore. 

These groups might re-arrange themselves into Rajpoot, 
Mahratta, Mahomedan, Indo-Chinese, and Aboriginal, bnt 
for the fact that in some States the mass of the people differ 
from their rulers in race and creed, while in others it is hard 
to say which race or creed preponderates. A Hindoo Rajah 
mgns in Travancore, for instance; ^ Mahomedan Begum 



148 IKDIA AKD HER XEIGHBORS. 

governs Bhopaul; a Seikh dynasty holds Cashmere: the bulk 
of Scindia's subjects are not Mahrattas, nor do the Mussul- 
mans outnumber the Hindoo and Dravidian races in Hydera- 
bad. With regard to the rulers of these states, there is one 
easy mode of distinguishing a Mahomedan from a Hindoo 
dynasty. Eajah or Maharajah, Eana and Rao, with the fem- 
inine Ranee, are all Hindoo titles of soyereignty, while 
Thakure and Sirdar answer to our barons. A Mahomedan 
prince, on the other hand, is a Sultan, a Nawab, or a Meer, 
while Khan expresses a somewhat lower rank. 

Rajpoota7ia. — Of all these states, the oldest and historically 
the most renowned are those of Rajpootana, the land of 
Rajpoots or princes, which extends from Scinde almost to the 
Jumna, and from Bhawulpore to the borders of Malwa and 
the presidency of Bombay. It is a land of rocky hills, and 
wide, dry, often sandy plains, covering an area of about 
114,000 square miles, equal to the British islands, peopled by 
ten or eleven million souls. No small part of it is mere 
desert, haunted only by wild beasts of various sorts, from the 
nilgau to the lion. The fertile tracts 'afford pasture for sheep, 
horses, and camels, or yield crops of corn, cotton, sugar, 
opium, and tobacco. The inhabitants are nearly all Hindoos 
of various castes and tribes, from the high-bred Rajpoot and 
the keen-witted Brahmin, to the hard-working Jats and the 
humble dealers in grain. The Rajpoots pride themselves on 
the purity of their descent from the Kshatriya, or warrior 
caste of Maru's day, and some of their princes would even 
trace their lineage back to Rama, the mythical King of Oude. 

Oodeypore. — Of thes5 princes, the highest in rank by com- 
mon consent is the Rana of Mewar or Oodeypore, whose king- 
dom has an area of 11,614 square miles, and a population 
reckoned to exceed a million. Centuries before Mahmud of 
Ghuzni invaded India, his forefathers held the country of 
which Oodeypore is now the capital. By some it is alleged 
that the blood of the Sassanian kings of Persia and that of 
the C^-iars of Rome meet in the veins of this feudatory 
pri:Iv.v^ ' ' In the fourteenth century the renowned Hamir beat 
back the Pathan masters of Delhi, and recovered his capital, 
Cheetore, from the successor of Alla-ud-deen. Another of 
his line, the yet more famous Rana Sanga, defeated the Mu- 
hammedans in battle after battle, and baffled for a brief 
space the might of Baber himself. His grandson, Paertaub 
Rana, fought hard and long against Akbar's son Jehangire, 




IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 149 

and, Ohetoore having been destroyed, founded a new capital, 
Oodeypore, in honor of his father Oodee Singh. The story of 
the first siege of Cheetore is one of the most romantic on the 
many-colored page of Indian history. Eumors of the extraor- 
dinary beauty of the Protector's * wife haviug reached the 
ears oS- the Sultan of Delhi, Alla-u-deen, better known as Alia 
the Sanguinary, he made the surrender of the princess the 
condition of peace. He succeeded by a stratagem in captur- 
ing her husband, and by this means matters appeared to be 
greatly simplified. The beautiful Pudmani assembled her 
kinsfolk, and taking counsel of them it was agreed that if 
Alia would raise the siege, her hand should be his reward. 
She stipulated that every respect should be shown her, and all 
the proprieties of harem life observed. She obtained leave to 
enter the conqueror's camp, attended by the ladies of her 
household. Half an hour was to be allowed for a final fare- 
well between the unhappy husband and wife. On the ap- 
pointed day 700 litters accompanied her to the royal camp, 
each litter carried by six armed soldiers disguised as porters, 
and containing, instead of a lady in waiting, a fierce warrior 
of Cheetore armed to the teeth. The parting over betv/een 
husband and wife, the former entered the litter waiting to 
convey him back to his city, whilst the supposed damsels 
were to remain with their devoted queen and accompany her 
in the conqueror's train to Delhi. But the scheme being dis- 
covered, the Eajpoot warriors sprang from their palanquins, 
when a bloody fray ensued. The husband and wife escaped 
into' their capital, but the flower of the chivalry of Cheetore 
was the price paid for their safety. Cheetore was again be- 
sieged, and, on its final fate becoming apparent, Pudmani, 
and thousands of the wives and daughters of the inhabitants 
performed the johur, or immolated themselves, rather than 
fall into the hands of the conquerors. 

Three times Cheetore was besieged and sacked; the first 
time, as just related, was in A.D. 1295. 

Before alluding to the second siege under Bahadou-^n/xiTj- 
tan of Guzerat, in 1533, a brief mention may be made of one 
of the many customs of this land of romance and war, many 
of them akin to the usages of the feudal times in our own 
country, and bespeaking a common origin, or at all events 
apparently springing from like conditions. 

Prom remote times there appear to have been great feudal 

* Or chief of the confederate princes of Rajpootana. 



150 INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 

lords in Eajpootana dwelling in large castles with lesser barons 
under them, with minstrels and bards in the hall to extol the 
gallant deeds of the cavaliers. The long-descended dames 
were famed alike for their beauty, their pride and their vir- 
tue, and renowned as their fathers and brothers for . their 
devotion to the honor of their country. -- 

The glowing pen of Colonel Tod, the Froissart of Eajpoo- 
tana, thus describes a romantic and knightly usage: *'The 
festival of the bracelet (Eakhi) is in spring, and whatever its 
origin, it is one of the few when an intercourse of gallantry 
of the most delicate nature is established between the fair sex 
and the cavaliers of Eajast'han. 

** Though the bracelet may be sent by a maiden, it is only 
on occasions of urgent necessity or danger. The Eajpoot 
dame bestows with the Eakhi the title of adopted brother; 
and while its acceptance secures to her all the protection of a 
'cavaliere servente,' scandal itself never suggests any other 
tie to his devotion. He may hazard his life in her cause, and 
yet never receive a smile in reward, for he cannot even see 
the fair object who, as brother of her adoption, has consti- 
tuted him her defender. But there is a charm in the mys- 
tery of such connection, never endangered by close observa- 
tion, and the loyal to the fair may well attach a value to the 
public recognition of being the Eakhi-bund Bhau, 'the 
bracelet -bound brother ' of a princess. The intrinsic value 
of such pledge is never looked to, nor is it requisite it should 
be costly, though it varies with the means and rank of the 
donor, and may be of flock silk and spangles, or gold chains 
and gems. The acceptance of the pledge and its return is by 
the Katchli, or corset, of simple silk or satin, or gold brocade 
and pearls. In shape or application there is nothing similar 
in Europe, and as defending the most delicate part of the 
.structure of the fair, it is peculiarly appropriate as an emblem 
of devotion. A whole province has often accompanied the 
Katchli, and the monarch of India was so pleased with this 
courteous delicacy in the customs of Eajast'han, on receiving 
the bracelet of the Princess Kurnavati, which invested him 
with the title of her brother, and uncle and protector to her 
infant, Cody Sing, that he pledged himself to her service, 
'even if the demand were the Castle of Einthumbor.^ Hu- 
mavoon proved himself a true knight, and even abandoned 
his''conquests in Bengal, when called on to redeem his pledge 
and succor Cheetore and the widows and minor sons of Canga 



1 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 151 

Rana. Humayoon had the highest proofs of the worth of 
those courting his protection; he was with his father in all 
his wars in India, and at the battle of Biana his prowess was 
conspicuous, and is recorded by Baber's own pen. He amply 
fulfilled his pledge, expelled the foe from Oheetore, took 
Mandoo by assault,<and, as some revenge for ^er king^s aiding 
the King"^ of Guzerat, he sent for the Eana Bikramayat, 
whom, following their own notions of investiture, he girt 
with a sword in the captured citadel of his foe. The Ma- 
homedan historians, strangers to their customs, or the secret 
motives which caused the emperor to abandon Bengal, ascribe 
it to the Rana's solicitations; but we may credit the annals, 
which are in unison with the chivalrous notions of the Raj- 
poots, into which succeeding monarchs, the great Akbar, his 
son Jehangir and Shah Jehan entered with delight; and even 
Aurungzebe, two of whose original letters to the queen- 
mother of Oodipoor are now in the author's possession, and 
are remarkable for their elegance and purity of diction, and 
couched in terms perfectly accordant with Rajpoot delicacy." 

On the first occasion, we have seen that thousands of the 
women followed the example of their queen, and performed 
the johur; on the second, 13,000 women immolated them- 
selves; on the third, when Akbar besieged Oheetore and ut- 
terly destroyed it, 8,000 Rajpoots, with all their wives and 
families, performed the dreadful rite. The heroism, of the 
women of Oheetore stands unrivalled even amongst the Raj- 
poots. Rinthumbor next surrendered, and the Rajpoots be- 
came, notwithstanding their daring and warlike spirit, sub- 
ject to the Moguls, until the Mahrattas arose and oppressed 
them yet more cruelly. 

It is the special boast of the Mewar princes that none of 
their house ever intermarried with the Mogul emperors of 
Hindustan. 

Rana Raj Singh, the writer of the remarkable letter quoted 
below, could wield the sword or spear as well as the pen, and 
was ready, like a true knight, to do his devoir at the behest 
of his lady love. 

To wed with the Moslem was most distasteful to the 
haughty beauties of Rajpootana, and when a fair princess of 
Marwar was solicited in marriage by the Emperor Aurung- 
zebe, she appealed to the chivalry of the Rana Raj Singh in 
these words: ^^Is the swan to be the mate of the stork? Is 
a Rajpootnee, pure in blood, to be the wife of the monkey- 



152 IIJTDIA AIsTD HER NEIGHBORS. 

faced barbarian?" Tlie Rana hastened to the rescue, de- 
feated the imperial escort of cavalry, and bore off in triumph 
the lady as his bride. 

Aurungzebe's bigotry* drove the Rajpoots into fresh nor 

* " This letter (says Colonel Tod), first made known to Europe by Orme, has by 
him been erroneouslf attributed to Jesswunt Sing of Marwar, who was dead be^ 
fore the promulgation of the edict, as the mention of Ramsing sufficiently indi- 
cates, whose father, Jye Sing, was cotemporary with Jesswunt, and ruled nearly 
a [year after his death. My Moonshee obtained a copy of the original letter at 
Oudipore, where it is properly assigned to the Rana. It were superfluous to give 
a translation after the elegant production of Sir W. B. Rouse. 

Letter from Bana Raj Sing to Auriongsehe. 

" ' All due praise be rendered to the glory of the Almighty, and the munificence 
of your majesty, which is conspicuous as the sun and moon. Although I, your 
well-wisher, have separated myself from your sublime presence, I am neverr 
theless zealous in the performance of every bounden act of obedience and loy- 
alty. My ardent wishes and strenuous services are employed to promote the 
prosperity of the Bangs, Nobles, Mirzas, Rajahs, and Roys, of the provinces of 
Hindustan, and the chiefs of ^raun, Turaun, Room, and Shawn, the inhabitants 
of the seven climates, and all persons traveling by land and water. This, my in- 
clination, is notorious, nor can your royal wisdom entertain a doubt thereof. Re- 
flecting, therefore, on my former services, and your majesty's condescension, I 
presume to solicit the royal attention to some circumstances, in which the public 
as well as private vi^elfare is greatly interested. 

" 'I have been informed that enormous sums hav© been dissipated in the 
prosecution of the designs formed against me, your well-wisher; and that you 
have ordered a tribute to be levied to satisfy the exigencies of your exhausted 
treasury. 

" ' May it please your majesty, your royal ancestor Mahomed Jehaul ul Deen 
Akbar, whose throne is now in heaven, conducted the affairs of this empire in 
equity and firm security for the space of fifty-two years, preserving every tribe of 
men in ease and happiness, whether they were followers of Jesus, or of Moses, of 
David, or Mahomed; vrere they Brahmins, were they of the sect of Dharians, 
which denies the eternity of matter, or of that which ascribes the existence of 
the world to chance; they all equally en joyed his countenance and favor; inso- 
much that his people, in gratitude for the indiscriminate protection he afforded 
them, distinguished him by the appellation of Juggat Gooroo (Guardian of Man- 
kind). 

" ' His Majesty Mahomed Noor ul Deen Jehangheer, likevrfse, whose dwelling is 
now in paradise, extended for a period of twenty -two years, the shadow of his 
pi'otection over the heads of the people; successful by a constant fidehty to his 
allies, and a vigorous exertion of his arm in business. 

" ' Nor less did the illustrious Shah Jehan, by a propitious reign of thirty-two 
years, acquire to himself immortal reputation, the glorious reward of clemency 
and virtue. 

" ' Such were the benevolent inclinations of your ancestors. VThilst they pur- 
sued these great and generous principles, wheresoever they directed their steps, 
conquest and prosperity went before them ; and then they reduced many coun- 
tries and fortresses to their obedience. During your majesty's reign, many have 



IKDIA Al^D HER NEIGHBORS. 153 

wholly unsuccessful revolts. But in an evil moment they 
turned for help to the ambitious and rapacious Mahrattas, 
and for many year's Mewar and all Kajpootana suffered griev- 
ously from Mahratta exactions and Pindaree raids. At 
length, in 1818, when the Mahratta power had been finally 
broken by Lord Hastings, the victorious English held out a 
protecting hand to the princes of Kajpootana. A treaty 
made with the Eana of Mewar secured to him all his sover- 
eign rights, limited only by the mild demands of his future 
protectors. British supremacy was enforced by the payment 
of a yearly tribute, and the surrender of the Rana's right to 
make treaties with foreign powers. The revenue is £250,000. 
Oodeypore, the capital, is adorned with magnificent struc- 

been alienated from the empire, and farther loss of territory must necessarily fol- 
low, since devastation and rapine now universally prevail without restraint. Your 
subjects are trampled under foot, and every province of your empire is impover- 
ished ; depopulation spreads, and difificulties accumulate. When indigence has 
reached the habitation of the sovereign and his princes, what can be the condition 
of the nobles? As to the soldiery, they are in murmurs; the merchants complain- 
ing, the Mahomedans discontented, the Hindoos destitute, and multitudes of peo- 
ple, wretched even for the want of their nightly meal, are beating their heads 
throughout the day in rage and desperation. 

" ' How can the dignity of a sovereign be preserved who employs his power in 
exacting heavy tributes from a people thus miserably reduced? At this juncture, 
it is told from east to west that the Emperor of Hindustan, jealous of the poor 
Hindoo devotee, will exact a tribute from 'Brahmins, Sanorahs, Joghies, Beraw- 
ghies, Sauyasees; that, regardless of the illustrious honor of his Timurean race, 
he condescends to exercise his power over the solitary, inoffensive anchoret. If 
your majesty places any faith in thos6 books by distinction called divine, you will 
there be instructed that God is the God of all mankind, not the God of Mahome- 
dans alone. The Pagan and the Mussulman are equal in his presence. Distinc- 
tions of color are of his ordination. It is He who gives existence. In your tem- 
ples, to His name the Voice is raised in prayer; in a house of images, where the 
bell is shaken, still He is the object of adoration. To vilify the religion or cus- 
tonas of other men, is to set at nought the pleasure of the Almighty. When we 
deface a picture, we naturally incur the resentment of the painter; and justly has 
the poet said, presume not to arraign or scrutinize the various works of power 
divine. 

'"In fine, the tribute you demand from the Hindoos is repugnant to justice; 
it is equally foreign from good policy, as it must impoverish the country; more- 
over, it is an innovation and an infringement of the laws of Hindustan. But, if 
zeal for your own religion hath induced you to determine upon this measure, the 
demand ought, by the rules of equity, to have been made first upon Ramsing, who 
is esteemed the principal amongst the Hindoos. Then let your well-wisher be 
called upon, with whom you will have less difficulty to encounter; but to torment 
ants and flies is unworthy of a heroic or generous mind. It is wonderful that the 
ministers of your government should have neglected to instruct your majesty in 
the rules of rectitude and honor.— Tod's " Rajast'han, vol. i., p. 380, note." 



154 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

tures, and has a lake witli a marble palace rising, as it were, 
out of the water. The Kana was loyal in 1857. The present 
prince is only eighteen years of age. He is entitled to a per- 
sonal salute of twenty-one guns.* 

Jeypore, — J^ext in dignity is the kingdom of Jeypore, 
founded in a.d. 957, by another descendant of Eama. This 
State has an area of 15,000 square miles, and a population 
little short of 2,000,000. Some of its rulers fought with 
success against the Pathan kings of Delhi, but later Rajahs 
f iiccumbed to the prowess or the arts of the Mogul emper- 
ors, and gave their daughters in marriage to the house of 
Akbar. Among the foremost princes of this line was Jey 
Singh, whose reign began towards the end of Aurungzebe's, 
in the last days of the seventeenth century. His deeds of 
arms against the Mogul were outshone by his attainments in 
the arts and sciences. A renowned astronomer, he built ob- 
servatories at Delhi, Jeypore, and Benares, furnished with 
instruments of his own invention. The best works of the 
greatest mathematicians were by his orders translated into 
Sanscrit. The handsome modern city of Jeypore was built 
under his directions, remarkable for its lofty stone houses 
faced with a cliunam, or stucco, almost as hard and polished 
as marble, and set off with frescoes, sculptures, and stone 
balconies enclosed in lattice-work of stone. A vast palace, 
and many Hindoo temples of large size, enhance the beauty 
of- this noble Rajpoot capital. 

* "The Guptas, on the overthrow of the S&hs, founded a second dynasty at 
Vallabi, in Kattiawar, and when the last of the Vallabis were driven out of Guzerat 
by Naushirvan, the great Sassanian King of Persia — A. D. 521-579 — the Vallabi 
Prince Goha was married to the daughter of Naushirvan. She was grand-daughter 
of Maurice, Emperor of Constantinople, and from her is descended the present 
Rana of Udaipur, or Maiwar, who thus represents at once the legendary heroes of 
the " Kamayana " and " jMahabharata," the Sassanians of Persia, and the Caasars 
of Rome. Maiwar is the only Hindoo dynasty which has outlived the thousand 
years of Mohammedan domination in India, and the Rana still possesses nearly 
the stime territory which his ancestors held with almost unvarying success against 
C^asira and Mahmoud of Gazni, and the Afghan kings and Mogul emperors of 
Delhi. 

*' In 1809 Rajputana was thrown into disorder by the contest of the princes for 
the hand of Krishna Kumari, the beautiful daughter of the Rana of Udaipur. To 
stay the fratricidal strife and bring back peace to the land, the peerless maiden 
took the bowl of poison offered to her by her distracted father, and exclaiming, 
" This is the bridegroom foredoomed for me," drank it off and sickened, trembled, 
fell, and died as she spoke the words. It was a page from the Mahabharata quick- 
ened into life once more."— Times. Vide Appendix D, 



II^DIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 155 

Public inns, or sarms, for travelers, were freely scattered 
about his kingdom. Under his long and enlightened rule, 
Jeypore flourished as it had never done before. Then came 
a long period of intestine feuds, under weak and dissolute 
rulers, and of much suffering from Mahratta and Pindaree 
aggressions. Jeypore at length turned for aid to the rising 
British power; but .the treaty of 1803, which placed her 
under British protection, was set aside by Lord Cornwallis, 
and it was not till 1818 that Jeypore was finally added to the 
list of states which paid tribute to their new over-lord, the 
East India Company. 

The present maharajah is conspicuous as one of the ablest 
and most enlightened of Indian princes. Under the success- 
ful guidance of the late Colonel W. Eden, the able political 
resident at his court, he did good service in 1857. The ma- 
harajah had a seat in the legislative council of the viceroy, is 
a G.O.S.I., and is entitled to a personal salute of twenty- 
one guns. The state yields a revenue of £475,000. 

Jaudhpore. — Joudhpore, or Marwar, the largest but not 
the most populous of the Rajpoot kingdoms, with an area of 
more than 35,000 square miles, peopled by 2,000,000 souls, 
was ruled in the middle of the thirteenth century by the 
Rahtores, a Rajpoot clan who had wandered thither after the 
conquest of Canouj by Muhammad Ghori, in 1193. Two 
centuries later, one of their rajahs, Joudh Singh, founded 
the city which now gives its name to the whole State. After 
the defeat of the great Rana Sanga, the head of the Rajpoot 
league against the Moguls, Joudhpore also had to bend under 
the yoke of the House of Baber, and to purchase peace from 
the victorious Akbar by giving him a Joudhpore princess to 
wife. Successive rahjahs fought and ruled with distinction 
under their new lords; but Jeswant Singh, who had done 
loyal service to Shah Jehan, paid only a fitful allegiance to 
his crafty successor Aurungzebe, whom he fought not unsuc- 
cessfully with his own weapons of intrigue and treachery. 
After his death the annals of Marwar become stained with 
crime and confused with intestine broils. One prince mur- 
ders another, only to reap in his turn the just reward of par- 
ricide at the hands of a kinswoman whose nephew he had 
wronged. Rival princes fight for the throne. At length 
the Mahrattas appear upon the scene of anarchy and blood- 
shed, and the brave Bijee Singh, after one successful fight, 
fails at last to hurl back the trained battalions of Scindia's 



156 IKDIA AKD HEE KEIGHB0R8. 

general. Be Boigne. In the days of liis successors, the land 
is harried by swarms of Pind^ree robbers, under their most 
ferocious leader, Ameer Khan. 

At length, in 1818, Marwar also passed under our protect- 
ing rule. But the troubles of the State were not yet over. 
Misrule, and consequent anarchy, grew so rampant that, in 
1839, a British force, under Colonel Sutherland, marched to 
Joudhpore, and held that city for five months, while order 
was re-established under new conditions, which bound "the 
Eajah, Maun Singh, to respect the right of his nobles, so far 
as they accorded with ancient usage. 

Joudhpore had a revenue of only £250,000 a year. The two 
preceding Maharajahs were bad rulers and incorrigible vas- 
sals. Joudhpore did good service during the mutiny, and its 
present ruler bears a good character with his own subjects and 
with the paramount power. He is entitled to a personal 
salute of nineteen guns, and is a Gr. O.S.I. 

The Desert States. — Bikaneer to the north and Jaisalmere 
on the west of Joudhpore, have each a larger area than Codey- 
pore, but lying as they do amidst the sand-hills of theiGreat 
Indian Desert, they are very thinly peopled; the former by 
half a million, the latter by only 70,000 souls. Bikaneer was 
founded by a son of the Eajah, who gave his name to Joudh- 
pore. Its people are mainly Jats, a Hindoo race apparently 
akin to the Getss, of Latin history, and to the Jutes who 
peopled part of Denmark and England. One of its Eajahs, 
Eai Singh, followed Akbar's standard in all its wars, and gave 
his daughter in marriage to Akbar's son, Jehangire. More 
fortunate than its neighbors, Bikaneer escaped the ravages of 
Maharatta and Pindaree greed in the eighteenth century. 
Like the other Eajpoot States, it afterwards owned allegiance 
to the British power. 

Jaisalmere was founded in the middle of the twelfth cen- 
tury by a Bhati prince, whose forefathers had once ruled in 
Gliuzni and Lahore. In the latter part of the thirteentli 
century, Jaisalmere was closely besieged by the troops of 
Alla-ud-deen Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi. Hopeless of relief, 
the defenders, according to Eajpoot usage in such cases, re- 
solved at any rate to die with honor. 

Eajpoot honor demanded the ** johur," or self-immolation 
of its women. When their destiny became inevitable, the 
queen, stepping forth from amongst her attendants, replied, 
in answer to the summons sent by the men, *' To-night we 




IKDIA AND HER HEIGHBORS. 157 

shall prepare. To-morrow's light will find us inhabitants of 
paradise." By daybreak next morning four thousand women 
of all ages gave up their lives without a murmur, and appar- 
ently without fear, the willing sacrifices of honor. The 
women were all put to death by fire or the sword, and then 
the men, headed by their sovereign, rushed forth to meet the 
foe, and died fighting to the last man. In the following 
centuries little is heard of Jaisalmere beyond its wars with 
Eajpoot or Afghan foes. In 1818 the Eawa, or ruler of 
Jaisalmere followed the example of his brother princes, and 
placed his country under our protection. The capital of the 
State is one of the healthiest ^and most beautiful towns in 
India, built entirely of stone adorned with abundant and 
tasteful carvings. The ruler of Bikaneer has a salute of 
seventeen guns, while he of Jaisalmere has a salute of fifteen 
guns. 



158 II^DIA AND HEE NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

FEUDATOEY NATIVE STATES. — Continued, 

JAT AND OTHEE MINOR STATES. 

Alwar — Kishengarh — Dholpore — Blmrtpore — Tonk — Kotah — Keraulee 

— Political Relations. 

The Jat States. — The other thirteen States in this group 
are comparatively small, from Alwar, with an area of 3,024, 
down to Kishengarh, which covers only 724 square miles. 
Two of them, Dholpore and Bhnrtpore, on the left bank of 
the Ohumbul, are Jat States — ruled, that is, by Jat princes. 
Both are of recent origin. Dholpore was made over early in 
this century to the Rana of Gohad, in exchange for his own 
district, claimed by Scindia, and Bhurtpore was one of the 
little States which rose in the last century out of the ruins of 
the Mogul Empire. Eunjeet Singh, a descendant of its 
founder, gave Holkar shelter within the walls of his almost 
inaccessible capital in 1805, an act which led to the fruitless 
siege of that stronghold by Lord Lake. ^ After beating back 
our troops four times, with heavy slaughter, the Eajah came 
to terms, and agreed to acknowledge the East India Company 
as his suzerain. Twenty years later Lord Oombermere led 
another British army against the one stronghold which had 
successfully braved our arms. This time Bhurtpore was 
taken, and its rightful Eajah restored to power in the room 
of the usurping Durjan Sal. His son, the present Eajah, en- 
joys a salute of seventeen guns, while fifteen are allotted to 
the Eana of Dholpore, who received a Grand Oommandership 
of the Star of India for his loyal conduct throughout the Mu- 
tiny. 

Tonh. — Another relic of the Mogul disruption is the Mu- 
hammadan principality of Tonk, founded at the close of the 
last century by the terrible freebooter, Ameer Khan, a Pathan 
adventurer from Eohilkund, whose marauding bands followed 



INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOKS. 159 

the standard of Jeswaiit Eao Holkar. The dominions which 
this soldier of fortune carved out for himself, with Holkar's 
leave, were secured to him in 1817 by the Indian government, 
on condition of his renouncing all further connection with the 
Pindarees and reducing the number of his troops. From 
that time the famous freebooter eschewed his evil ways, be- 
came respectable, even devout, and governed his little State 
of 2,730 square miles as successfully as he had formerly rav- 
aged its Eajpoot neighbors. His son behaved well during the 
Great Mutiny, but the next Nawab, who succeeded him in 
1864, was deposed in 1868 by Lord Lawrence, the viceroy, for 
the part he took in murdering the uncle of one of his Thak- 
ures, or barons. The late Nawab was conveyed as a prisoner 
at large to Benares, and his eldest son was placed upon the 
Guddee, the cushion which in India does duty for a throne. 
He has a personal salute of seventeen guns. 

Bundee. — Bundee, with an area of 2,291 square miles, 
dates from the middle of the fourteenth century. The first 
Rao of Bundee was a Chohan Rajpoot, who fled from Moslem 
tyranny into Mewar, and afterwards founded the State which 
his descendants still rule. The Raos of Bundee alternately 
served and fought against the Moguls. One of them, in 1804, 
gave timely help to Colonel Monson's shattered and exhausted 
troops during their retreat before Holkar. His grandson, in 
1817, zealously aided his English allies in cutting off the 
retreat of the Pindarees, a service rewarded by the recovery 
of possessions which Holkar and Scindia had taken from his 
family. In 1818 Bundee also was formally placed under our 
protection, "and its Maharaos receive a salute of seventeen 
guns. 

Kotah. — Kotah, with more than twice the area of Bundee, 
was an offshoot of the latter, dating only from 1625, when it 
was bestowed by the Emperor Jehangire on a prince of Ban- 
dee, in return for faithful services in the field. In lat^r 
times Kotah paid tribute to the Mahrattas, until their ovei - 
throw paved the way for its acceptance of British suzerainty. 
In 1857 the Rao of Kotah made no apparent effort to repress 
the mutiny of his contingent, or to save the political agent 
from murder; for which reason four guns were taken from 
the number of his salute. The full number of seventeen was 
however restored to his successor some years ago. 

Sirohee, — The Raos of Sirohee, a small state on the borders 
of Mewar, and Joudhpore, claim the proud distinction of 



160 IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

never having owned the suzerainty of any power, until, in 
1823, one of them agreed to pay tribute to the Indian Gov- 
ernment in return for his admission to the benefits of British 
rule. In 1845 another Eao ceded Mount Aboo as a sanitarium 
to the English on condition that no cows or pigeons were ever 
killed there. His services during the Mutiny were rewarded 
by a large reduction of his tribute. Fifteen guns is the num- 
ber of the Eao's salute. 

Karaulee. — The little State of Karaulee was the first to 
claim the protection offered in 1817 by the Marquis of Hast- 
ings to the princes and people of Eajpootana. In 1852, on 
the death of its Eajah without a direct heir, Karaulee would 
have been absorbed into British India by Lord Dalhousie as a 
lapsed fief. But opinion in this country proved hostile to 
that great ruler's bold policy, and the right of a feudatory to 
adopt an heir in certain cases was admitted by the placing of 
Madan Pal on the vacant Guddee. In return for his services 
during the Mutiny, the new Eajah obtained a remission of his 
debt to the supreme government, and an increase of his 
salute from fifteen to seventeen guns. 

Political Relations. — The relations of all these States with 
the Supreme Government are managed by the governor-gen- 
eral's agent from Mount Aboo, where he resides in the hot 
season, visiting the different States in the cold weather. For 
this purpose the whole of Eajpootana is divided into seven 
agencies, the Me war, the Jeypore, the Mar war, the Haraotee, 
and so forth. Each is under an English ^' Political," who 
transacts business with the native ministers, and combines in 
himself the various parts of diplomatist, head magistrate, 
and minister of state, with large if undefined powers of inter-, 
ference in the internal affairs of his agency. The Marwar 
agent holds a special court for deciding all disputes between 
the different States of Eajpootana. Besides Mount Aboo, 
there are two districts ruled directly by British officers. Aj- 
mere, with an area of 2,000 square miles, was ceded by Scin- 
dia in 1818, and annexed to the government of the North- 
western Provinces, l^ot long afterwards the hilly tracts of 
Mairwara, peopled by aboriginal Mairs, passed under British 
keeping and its rude inhabitants repaid the efforts of their 
new masters to reclaim them from their savage ways by rally- 
ing freely to our side in the troubled days of the mutiny. 



ISDIA AND HEB NEIOHBOBS. 161 



OHAPTEE XXVI. 

FETJDATOET NATIVE S.TA.T-ES.—COntiniied. 

STATES ON THE INDUS AND ITS TEIBTJTAEIES. 
Kbyrpore-Bhawulpore-Cashmere-Punjab Hill States. 

Khvrporeand Shatvulpore.-Mong the left bank of the 
Sutlefana the Indus stretch the Muhammedan States of 

Sulpore and Khyrpore The ^rmer ^^./^'^f J^^lfrth- 
land between the river and desert which gii-^aies the north 

west boundaries of Kaiputana, covers f^/'^^^o^^'.^O^^X [n 
miles, of which only a third is cultivated. " ^f ^^^^Xse 
1737 bv Daud Khan, a Daudputra, or " Son of David whose 
clan boasted their descent from Abbas, he Prophets uncte 
The people he found there were mostly Jats. His great 
nephew Bhawul Khan, built the city which has given its 
nameto the State. Another Bhawul Khan, nephew of the 
former had to beseech English aid against the encroachments 

of tTe Seildi ruler, Runjeet Singh ^1^° I'f ,^l'^%^'^X!=*"P^f. 
him of his possessions on the right bank of the Sutle] En 
glish influence did its work, and subsequent treaties w th 
Bhawulpore in the interests of our trade improved the alli- 
ance thus begun. In 1838 the Nawab, who had long since 
teowned Ws^assalage to Oandahar, fomally transferred his 
alleg^oe to the Indian Government . Ten years 1^" 
Daudputras marched forth to aid Captain Hertert Edwardes 
in his brilliant achievement when he drove the rebel Mulra] 
back within the walls of Mooltan. In 1866, on the death of 
the last Nawab, the government of the State was enW^^^^^ 
the political agent during' the minority of the "ghtful heir. 
Under Colonel Minchin's fostering care the country is fast re- 
covering from the misrule and neglect of former days; and 
the young Nawab, who is being carefully tramed ^^Y »" ^^n- 
g ish tutor, will begin his reign in 1879 with every advantage 



162 lUfDlJL AI?-D HEK NEIGHBORS. 

that an upright and able ruler could desire. His salute is 
seventeen guns. 

Khjrpore on the Indus has an area of 6,000 square miles. 
Its ruler, Meer Ali Murad, was the youngest brother of Meer 
Kustum, one of the Talpoor Ameers of Scinde, when that 
country was conquered by Sir Charles Napier, in 1843. In 
the general overthrow of the Talpoor dynasty, Ali Murad 
contrived to retain his share of the family estates; but his 
attempt to get more than his share by means of forgery was 
found out some years later, and duly punished by Lord Dal- 
housie with degradation from the higher rank of Eais, and 
forfeiture of part of his dominions. His salute is fifteen 
guns. 

Cashmere. — Among the Native States of Northern India, 
Cashmere claims the first place, with its area of 79,784 square 
miles and a population of above 1,500,000. The present king- 
dom includes not only the famous valley of Cashmere, but the 
hill districts of Jummu, Baltistan, and Ladakh. The beau- 
tiful valley of Cashmere, seventy miles long by forty broad, 
is surrounded on all sides by lofty and rugged highlands, a 
wilderness of mountain ridges thrown out from the great 
Himalayan chain, through which the Indus and the Jhelum 
cleave their way down into the Punjab. The people of Cash- 
mere are mainly Hindoo by race, with a certain admixture 
of the Tartar and Thibetan elements in the more mountain- 
ous parts. Successive dynasties of different races ruled the 
country, before it passed under the sway of the Emperor Ak- 
bar in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The rule of 
the Moguls was supplanted in the last century by that of the 
Persian conqueror, Nadir Shah. Eighty years afterwards the 
country fell into the hands of Ennjeet Singh, and in 1846, 
after our first Seikh War, it passed by right of conquest into 
British keeping. But Golab Singh, the Dogra Chief of 
Jumma, who had remained neutral during the war, was 
allowed to purchase for £1,000,000 sterling the whole prov 
ince from its new masters, on conditions of fealty enforced 
by the payment of a yearly tribute, in the shape of one horse, 
twelve shawl goats, and three pairs of shawls. His loyalty 
stood the test of the second Seikh War in 1848-49; and his 
successor, Punbeer Singh, sent his troops, in 1857, to bear 
their part in the memorable siege and storming of Delhi. An 
able and enlightened ruler, as things go, Eunbeer Singh has 
done much to foster the trade, industry and moral welfare of 



IHDIA AND HEK i^EIGHBORS. 163 

his subjects. The revenue is £835,234. This chief is a gen- 
eral in the British army, is G.C.S.I., and entitled to a per- 
sonal salute of twenty-one guns.* 

Punjab Hill States, — On the southern bor(Jers of Cash- 
mere is the Hill State of Chamba, an old Eajpoot princi- 
pality, covering more than 3,000 square miles, and rich in 
forests of deodar, which have been rented to the Indian Gov- 
ernment. To the south and east of the Kangra district are 
the small States of Mundi, Suket, and Bassahir, which last 
has also rented its deodar forests to the Paramount Power. 
Of the twenty-six small Hill States to the south of the Sut- 
lej the largest is Nahan, or Sarmur, whose chief rules over 
90,000 subjects, and receives a salute of seven guns. The 
hill-station of Kasaulee (or Kussowlie) was built on land 
obtained from the Eajah of Baghat. These hill-chiefs are all 
of good Eajpoot lineage, and enjoy, like their more -conspicu- 
ous peers, the right of adoption in default of direct heirs. 
Beyond the Sutlej also lies the Seikh State of Kapurthulla, 
one of whose Eajahs, Eundhir Singh, fought so loyally for 
his English friends in 1857-58, that his domains were en- 
larged by fresh estates in the Punjab and two Jageers or fiefs 
in Oude; he is entitled to a salute of eleven guns. 

* For this and other states.' see J. Talboys Wheeler's " Imperial Assemblaee at 
Delhi." . 



164 INDIA a:^d her neighbors. 



CHAPTEK XXVIL 

FEUDATORY NATIVE STATES. — continued. 

CIS-SUTLEJ STATES. 

Putiala — Jhend — Nabha — Faredkhot — Maler Kotla — Rampore. 

Putiala. — Of tlie Cis-Sutlej States in Sirhind, the great 
plain between the Sufclej and the Jumna, where the fate of 
India has so often been decided by the shock of arms, Puti- 
ala, with an area of 5,41"^ square miles, peopled by 1,650,000 
souls, ranks first, both in extent and for the noble services its 
chief and people rendered to our cause during the worst days 
of the Mutiny. Founded by a Seikh Jat, in the seventeenth 
century, Putiala and several other States on the British- side 
of the Sutlej passed under our protection in 1809. For the 
help he gave us some years later, in the war with Nepaul, the 
Rajah of Putiala was rewarded with new estates. A like re- 
turn was made for the loyal conduct of another Rajah during 
the first Seikh war. It was the same Narindar Singh who, 
at the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857, at once cast in his lot 
with ours, placed himself and his troops at our disposal, kept 
the road open from Lehore to Delhi, lent his money freely to 
the Indian Grover-nment, sent out his soldiers wherever they 
were needed for the maintenance of order or the suppression 
of revolt, and spared no effort which a faithful vassal might 
make on behalf of his liege lord. For these splendid services 
the Maharajah was duly rewarded by the gift of forfeited 
estates yielding two lakhs of rupees a year, by the right of 
adoption in default of heirs, and by the power of inflicting 
capital punishment within his own realm. His successor, 
Mahindar Singh, who died lately, in the sixteenth year of his 
rule, was a well- taught, able, and enlightened prince, who 
spoke English, and administered justice on English princi- 
ples. He was entitled to a salute of seventeen gung. 



INDIA AN"D HEE KEIGHBOKS. 165 

Jhend. — Not less faithful in the hour of our great need 
were the Eajahs of Jhend and Nabha, both descended from 
the same clan as Patiala. Jhend, a small State of 1,236 
square miles, helped Lord Lake against Holkar in 1805, and 
a few years later secured its independence of Eunjeet Singh 
by acknowledging the Indian Government as its Overlord. In 
the two Seikh wars Rajah Sarup Singh stood loyally by his 
English masters, and in 1857 he vied with Putiala in the zeal 
and promptitude of his movements on their behalf. In a 
very few days after the rising at Delhi, the road from Kur- 
naul to that city was guarded by his troops. At Budlee 
Serai, on the memorable 8th of June, they assisted to chase 
4he rebels into the stronghold, which they afterwards helped 
to storm. Their Rajah himself took part in the famous 
siege. For these and subsequent services he was rewarded 
with an increase of territory, the right of adoption, the full 
power of life and death, and a salute of eleven guns. In per- 
son and character, Sarup Singh was among the noblest speci- 
mens of the Seikh race. On his death, in 1864, he was suc- 
ceeded by his son, Rugbheer Singh, who had proved himself 
the worthy heir of his high-minded father. 

Nabha, Sc. — The Rajah of JSTabha, a yet smaller State than 
Jhend, made ample atonement during the mutiny for his 
father's shortcomings during the Seikh war of 1845. Some 
of his troops were sent to occupy Loodianah, while another 
body did good service at the siege of Delhi. He would have 
placed himself at their head, but this offer was declined on 
the plea of his youth. The rewards conferred upon him were 
similar to those conferred on his kinsmen of Jhend and Puti- 
ala. Dying of fever towards the end of 1863, he was suc- 
ceeded by his younger brother, who has a "personal salute of 
thirteen guns. 

Of the other States between the Sutlej and the Jumna, 
Paridkot is the largest, with an area of 643 square miles. It 
was founded by a Burar Jat in the time of Akbar, and its 
Rajah rendered us good service during the troubles of 1857. 
Maler Kotla is ruled by a Pathan Nawab, whose ancestors 
came from Cabul. These two chiefs have ^ salute of eleven 
and nine guns respectively^ 

Rampore. — The Nawab of Rampore rules a State within 
the British province of Rohilkund, having an area of 945 
square miles and a population of nearly half a million. It 
was a forefather of the present Nawab who fled before Colonel 



166- INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

Champion's Sepoys in the time of Warren Hastings. In the 
general overthrow of the Afghan Eohillas he was allowed to 
retain his lordship of Eampore as a fief of the Nawab of 
Oude. For his services during the Mutiny the present 
Nawab received a further grant of land. He is a good Arabic 
and Persian scholar, and is entitled to a salute of thkteen 
guns. His revenue is £146,000. 



«i> 



IITDIA AKD HER l^EIGHBORS. 167 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

FEUDATOEY NATIVE STATES — CENTRAL INDIA. 

Bhopal— Bundelkhund — Gwalior — ^Mahrattas — ^Indore — ^Dar and De- 
was. 

BJiopah — The chief Muhammadan State in Central India 
is that of Bhopal, lying between the Yindhya Hills and the 
Nerbudda, with an area of 8,200 square miles, peopled by 
769,200 souls. It was founded by an Afghan follower of Au- 
rungzebe, whose successors gallantly held their own against 
many an attack from their Mahratta neighbors. In 1818 
Bhopal was placed under British protection. During the 
Mutiny the braye and able Sekundar Begum stood so loyally 
by the British power, that her dominions were enlarged by 
new grants and her dynasty assured by the right of adoption. 
On her death in 1863 she was succeeded by her like-minded 
daughter, the Shah Jehan Begum.* Her highness is a 
G.C.S.I., and is entitled to a salute of nineteen guns. 

Biindellchund. — Bundelkhund, or the land of the Bun- 
delas, and Bhagalkhand, peopled by the Bhagelas, both Hin- 
doo tribes, contain a cluster of Native States, stretching from 
the Betwa eastward to Mirzapore. Chief of these is Rewah, 
a highland State with an area of nearly 13,000 square miles; 
the Eajah, under the vigorous lead of Captain Willoughby 
Osborne, showed a bold front to the mutineers and rebels in 
1857. His loyalty was rewarded with the hill district of 
Amarkantak, and the right of adoption. Hfe salute amounts 
to seventeen guns. Next in importance comes Urcha, or 
Tehri, on the Betwa, whose Eajah became our vassal in 1812. 
Datia, an offshoot of Tehri, passed under our protection in 
1804, and Samptar, which had once formed part of Datia, in 
1817. The little State of Pauna, south of Tehri^ was once 

* Vide chapter XVI. 



108 Il^DIA AND HEB NEIGHBORS. 

famous for its diamond mines. Besides these, Bundelkliund 
contains some thirty-two minor chiefships, covering an area 
of 6,300 square miles, only one of which is ruled by a Muham- 
madan. 

Owalior. — Passing over the smaller States controlled by the 
Central India Agency, through its various branches from 
Western Malwa to Bhagalkhund, we come to the larger king- 
doms of Gwalior and Indore, still ruled by Mahratta princes 
of the Scindia and Holkar lines. The Mahrattas, so called 
from Maharastra, a hilly regien, which they have inhabited 
from time immemorial. This tract, which lies along the 
eastern slope of the Western G-hats in the Deccan, abounding 
in mountain fastnesses and small hill forts, appeared to be a 
fitting nurserj for the future robbers and plunderers of India. 
Although this race may have taken their name from that 
region of mountain fastnesses, where they may have in early 
times sought a refuge, it would appear that they must have 
largely inhabited the Deccan generally, for in no other way 
can we account for the swarms which burst forth from time 
to time, like a flight of locusts devouring the land, *' making 
a solitude and calling it peace." Under Sivajee they became 
soldiers and conquerors, and extended their sway in all direc- 
tions. Sivajee's successors became little more than State 
prisoners in the hands of the Peishwa, or chief minister,* 
who ruled with a varying sway the formidable Mahratta con- 
federacy, which was gradually formed under his auspices, 
some member of which, such as Scindia and Holkar, carried 
their swarms of horsemen, with or without the leave of the 
Peishwa, up to the gates of Delhi, and became at once the 
masters and protectors of the imperial throne; the advent of 
the English alone staying their victorious career towards the 
complete conquest of Hindustan. 

The history of India in the last century is filled with the 
wars and plottings of the great Mahratta chieftains, who, in 
the name of their nominal head, the Peishwa of Poona, 
strove to build up a new Hindoo empire on the wrecks of the 
Mogul power. 

Junkaji Scindia, grandson of Eanojee (the Pateil, or head 
man of his village), the founder of his line, was captured and 
slain after the terrible defeat of Paneeput in 1761. But his 
uncle, Madhojee, escaping with a wound that lamed him for 

* But a descendant of the renowned freebooter still reigns at Kolapore, a small 
state on the Western Ghauts. Tide page 173. 



IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 169 

life,* lived to carry his arms over great part of Upper India, 
to escort a Mogul emperor back to Delhi, and to rule the 
provinces around the imperial capital in that emperor's name. 
Events meanwhile brought him into collision with the En- 
glish, and his defeat by Colonel Oamac, in 1782, issued in a 
treaty which bound him to remain neutral in the war which 
Warren Hastings was waging against other foes in the Dec- 
can. At his death in 1794, the Mahratta power had reached 
its height. Nearly all Upper India paid tribute to the successor 
of Madhojee, and the poor old Emperor Shah Alam was a 
mere helpless pensioner on Scindia's bounty. 

In the days of his successor, Daulat Eao Scindia, a change 
for the worst set in. Already weakened by his quarrel with 
Jeswant Rao Holkar, Scindia had ere long to pay the penalty 
of trying conclusions with the conquerors of Seringapatam. 
At Alygurh, Assaye, Argaum, and Laswari, his best troops, 
trained by French leaders, fought in vain against English- 
men and Sepoys led by Wellesley aiid Lake. In the last 
days of that eventful 1803, he had to sign the treaty which 
stripped him of all his conquests between the Jumna and the 
Granges, as well as those in Western India; and reduced him 
from his virtual headship of the Mahratta League to a mere 
equality with the chiefs of rival States. In 1818, after the 
Peishwa's final overthrow, Daulat Eao made new concessions 
to the power which thenceforth took the place alike of Mah- 
ratta and Mogul. Shortly after the death of his successor, 
Junkaji, in 1843, the Gwalior nobles provoked a quarrel with 

* He fled from the disastrous field, but was pursued to a great distance by an 
Afghan, who, on reaching him, gave him so severe a cut on the knee with a bat- 
tle-axe, that he was deprived for life of the use of his right leg. His enemy, con- 
tent with inflicting this wound, and stripping him of some ornaments and his 
mare, left him to his fate. He was first discovered by a water-carrier, of the 
name of Ranak Khan,t who was among the fugitives: this man, placing him upon 
his bullock, carried him towards the Deccan. Madhajee used frequently to re- 
count the particulars of this pursuit. His fine Deccany mare carried him a great 
way ahead of this strong ambling animal upon which the soldier, who had marked 
him for his prey, was mounted; but, whenever he rested for an interval, however 
short, his enemy appeared, keeping the same pace; at last, his fatigued mare fell 
into a ditch. He was taken, wounded, spit upon, and left, He used to say to the 
British Resident at his Court, the late General Palmer, that the circumstance bad 
" made so strong an impression upon his inxagination, that he could not for a long 
time sleep without the AflEghan and his clumsy charger pacing after him and his 
fine Peccany mare! L" Central India," by Sir John Malcolm.] 

t His service was gratefully rewarded. Ranak Khan, the water-carrier, was 
afterwards styled the Bhaee, or brother, of Madhajee Sindia, raised to the first 
command in his army, and afterwards loaded with favors. 



170 IN-MA AND HER XEJGTTPOTIS. 

the English, which issued in the victories of Maharajpore and 
Piinniar, the reduction of the Gwalior army, and the raising 
of a contingent commanded by British officers. 

In 1857 the brave young Jaiaji Scindia (the present ruler), 
under the guidance of feis able minister, l)inkar Kao, strove 
hard to keep his own subjects faithful to his liege lords. But 
the Gwalior contingent mutinied at last, and in June of that 
year Scindia was flying for his life from the troops of tlie 
rebel leader Tantia Topee. Happily, Sir Hugh Eose came; 
promptly to his succor, and in less than three weeks Scindiji 
rode in triumph through his capital, which British darii)g 
had won back for its rightful master. It need hardly be said 
that his loyalty reaped its due reward. The country now 
ruled by him covers 33,000 square miles, stretching unevenly, 
in a disjointed way, from the Chumbul up to the Nerbudda, 
and reckoned to contain about 2,500,000 souls, all Hindoos of 
vai:ious races, with Brahmins and Mahrattas for the ruling 
class. The revenue is £1,200,000. There is a British resi- 
dent at the Court of Gwalior, and a British garrison in the 
great rock fortress. The Maharajah is a general in the Brit- 
ish army, is a G. C.S.I, and is entitled to a personal salute of 
twenty-one guns. 

Indore. — Indore, the State ruled by^a descendant of Mul- 
har Eao Ilolkar, a Mahrattaof the shepherd caste, lies mainly 
in the old province of Malwa, and covers an area of 8,075 
square miles, with a population of more than half a million. 
After the rout of Paneeput, Mulhar Eao retired to the coun- 
try he had conquered and held as a fief from the Peishwa. 
His successors brought fresh provinces under their sway, and 
engaged in frequent wars with their great rival, the house of 
Scindia. In the first years of this century Jeswant Eao Hol- 
kar turned his arms against the English, but the defeats in- 
flicted on him by Lake's warriors sent him flying to the Pun- 
jab. The treaty of December, 1805, brought him a peace 
cheaply purchased by the loss of part of his dominions. In 
1818, soon after the defeat of the Indore troops at Mahidpore 
by Sir T. Hi slop, the young Mulhar Eao Holkar, then a boy 
of sixteen, signed a treaty^which cut ofl a large slice from 
his realm, and placed the remainder under the British guar- 
antee. His latest successor, Tukajee Eao Holkar, failed, 
during the mutiny, to keep his troops from turning their 
guns against the English residency, and rioting in the mur- 
der of helpless English fugitives. But Holkar's share in that 



IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 171 

dismal business seems to have been purely passive, and the 
Indian Government never called him to account for the mis- 
deeds of his mutinous soldiery. Unlike Scindia, whose tastes 
are chiefly military, Holkar takes a keen interest in revenue 
affairs and in the manufacture of cotton fabrics — a little too 
keen, indeed, if the stories told of him are not pure inven- 
tions. Among the crops raised in his country opium takes a 
foremost place. The revenue is £500,000. There is a Brit- 
ish resident at Indore, and a British garrison is cantoned at 
Mhow, thirteen miles from Holkar's capital, which betokens 
his dependence on the paramount power. He, too, is a 
G. O.S.I. , and is entitled to a personal salute of twenty-one 
guns. 

Dhar and Detvas.— The little State of Dhar on the l^er- 
budda was also founded by a Mahratta. Its people rebelled 
against us in 1857, and the country was confiscated. But 
when it came out that the Eajah had suffered for the sins of 
others, he was reinstated in his former domains, except that 
portion which had been transferred to Bhopal. His salute 
amounts to fifteen guns. The same number is granted to 
the two Chiefs of Dewas, a little State of 256 square mjles. 



172 INDIA Al^D HER KEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

FEUDATORY i^ATIVE STATES — WESTER:N" IKDIA. 

Baroda — Kolapore — Sawant- Wari — Jinjiri — Cutch — Katiawur — Pah- 
lanpore — Malii Kama — Rewa Kanta. 

Baroda. — The Native States in Western India outside 
Scinde are very numerous and of all sizes, from a petty chief- 
ship of a few square miles to Baroda with an area of 4,399 
and a population of about 2,000,000. This latter State 
includes part of Kandeish and Katiawar with the bulk of 
Oujerat. Its founder, Damajee Gaikwar (Herdsman), a suc- 
cessful Mahratta officer, who died in 1720, was succeeded by 
his nephew Pilaee who perished at the hands of assassins em- 
ployed by the Eajah of Joudhpore. His son Damajee fought 
at Paneeput, but lived to strenghten his hold on Gujerat. 
In 1780 his successor entered into close alliance with the 
English, who helped to make him independent of the Peish- 
wa. Subsequent treaties brought Baroda within the circle 
of States dependent on the British power. In the fight for 
empire between the English and the Mahrattas, the Gaikwar 
dynasty remained true to its treaty engagements; and in 1857 
Khandi Rao Gaikwar did loyal service to his friends in need, 
who rewarded him with the right of adoption and the remis- 
sion of certain claims on his revenue. His brother, who suc- 
ceeded him in 1870, was the Mulhar Rao whose continued 
misrule, followed up by an accusation of attempting to poison 
the British resident, compelled the Viceroy, in 1875, to depose 
him from the Guddee, and send him a State prisoner to 
Madras. A child belonging to another branch of the same 
family was installed as Gaikwar in his stead, and the conduct 
of affairs has meanwhile been entrusted to Sir Madhava Rao, 
a statesman who had already proved his worth in the govern- 



IKDIA AKD HEE KEIGHBOKS. 173 

ment of Travancore and afterwards of Indore. The revenue 
is £1,150,000. The Gaikwar's salute is twenty-one guns. 

Kolapore. — While Sattara, the old seat of Mahratta power, 
has long been absorbed into British India, Kolapore, on the 
eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, between Eatnagiru and 
Belgaum, is still ruled by a descendant of the famous Sivajee. 
In the last century Kolapore was given to acts of piracy, 
which provoked the interference of the Bombay Government. 
By the treaty of 1811 the Eajah agreed to keep the peace with 
his neighbors, and yield up his forts in return for the British 
guarantee. Fresh breaches of the peace provoked sterner 
measures on our side, and at last, in 1844, a general rising in 
the South Mahratta country had to be put down by a British 
force. From that time the government of the State was 
retained in British hands until 1862, when Eajah Sivajee, 
who had stood our friend during the Mutiny, was allowed to 
govern for himself. His successor, a promising youth, came 
over to England in 1871, and died at Florence, on his way 
home, in the following year. During the minority of the 
present Eajah, the country is administered by the political 
agent. Area, 3,184 square miles; population, 802,691; rev- 
enue, £304,724; salute, nineteen guns. 

Saivant-Wari. — The chief of Sawant-Wari, a State of 800 
square miles, in the southern part of the Concan, is a Mah- 
ratta of the Bhosla family, which once gave rulers to Nagpore. 
In 1730 one of his ancestors formed an alliance with the 
English against the pirate lords of Kolaba. During the last 
century, Sawant-Wari and Kolapore were engaged in fighting 
each other whenever their taste for piracy found no sufficient 
food elsewhere. More than once the Indian Government had 
to interfere with a high hand, and in 1819 the ruler of 
Sawant-Wari yielded up a part of his dominions in exchange 
for the protection assured him by the agents of Lord Hast- 
ings. Fresh disturbances called for fresh displays of our 
authority in 1839 and 1844, and for many years the State was 
ruled by British officers. In 1867 a new Eajah was allowed 
to rule in fact as well as name; but after his death the country 
passed again^ under British management, the present Eajah 
being still a mere boy. Of the minor chiefships in the South- 
ern Mahratta country, Sanglee is the largest and most impor- 
tant. The Chief of Nurgund, whose ancestor had fought 
stoutly against Tippoo, was hanged in 1857 for the murder of 



174 IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

the political agent, and his Jageer was confiscated to the 
Paramount Power. 

Jinjira. — On the western coast, a little to the south of 
Bombay, lies the small Muhammadan State of Jinjira, ruled 
by a Habshee, or Abyssinian Si dee, whose forefathers held ^ 
their fief as admirals of the Sultan of Beejapore, and engaged 
in frequent wars with the countrymen of Sivajee. In 1733, 
the Sidee of that time entered into a close alliance with the 
English, which has never since been broken. 

CutcJi. — The Eao of Outch, that singular tongue of land 
which stretches from the delta of the Indus to Grujerat, witli 
the Eaun of Outch on its northern, and the gulf on its south- 
ern side, rules over an area of 6,500 square miles, peopled by 
half a million souls. The Eaun itself, a desert of salt and 
sand at one season, becomes a vast though shallow lake at 
another. Low volcanic hills run across the land of Outch, 
the greater part of which is little better than a desert, fringed 
by grassy plains and fields of rice, cotton, sugar-cane, or 
millet. The inhabitants are mostly Hindoos, with a sprink- 
ling of Muhammadans, and the Jharejas, a Eajpoot tribe from 
Scinde, form the ruling class. The present dynasty was 
founded in the fifteenth century, but the title of Eao is 
younger by a hundred years. In the first years of this cen- 
tury, rival rulers, Hindoo and Muhammadan, shared the 
country between them. Their quarrels and piracies brought 
English influence, armed or peaceful, into frequent play, in 
the early years of this century. In 1819, the Eao was de- 
throned, and his State administered for his child-heir, until 
1834, when the reins of government were handed over to that 
heir. In 1860 the latter was succeeded by Eao Pragmul, an 
able ruler, who did his best to put down infanticide and the 
slave trade, which his subjects carried on with Zanzibar. On 
his death, in the early part of 1875, the State once more 
passed under British management. Under the Eao of Oufoii 
there are some 200 chiefs or barons, each of whom wields 
almost sovereign power within his own domains. The pres- 
ent Eao has a revenue of £210,000, is eighteen years of age, 
and has two sons and a daughter, is a O.O.S.L, and has a 
salute of seventeen guns. 

Katiawar. — To the south of the Oulf of Outch lies the 
peninsula of Katiawar, with Ahmedabad and the Gulf of 
Cambay for its eastern boundary. Within its area of 21,000 



, INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 175 

square miles, a crowd of chiefs rule over some 2,000,000 
subjects in all, mostly Hindoos of various tribes, with a 
sprinkling of Pathans in the towns and of aboriginal Bheels 
and Katees in the central highlands. Of these chiefs, who 
are said to number 216, the Nawab of Junagurh, descended 
from a soldier of fortune who rose to power in the last cent- 
ury, may be held to rank first. He pays tribute both to the 
Gaikwar and the Indian Government. The Jam of Nawana;- 
gar, a Jhareja Eajpoot whose line dates back from the six- 
teenth century, holds a part of his domains under Junagurh 
and Baroda. The Thakure of Bhaunagar, whose Eajpoot 
forefather settled in Katiawar in the thirteenth century, has 
the largest revenue — £80,000 — of any chief in the peninsula. 
Two other chief ships, Purbandar and Drangdra, make up 
the list of those whose rulers have the power of life and death 
over all but British subjects. Por the trial of capital offences 
in the remaining States, and of crimes committed by petty 
chiefs, there is a special criminal court, over which presides 
the political agent. 

Palilanpore. — The Pahlanpore Agency controls a group of 
eleven States, four Muhammadan and seven Hindoo, lying be- 
tween Eajpootana and Baroda, and covering an area of 6,041 
square miles. Of these the largest is Pahlanpore, whose 
Dewan claims descent from a Lohani Afghan, on whom the 
title was bestowed by the Emperor Akbar. The present 
Dewan proved himself our true friend during the Mutiny. 
Eadhanpore was founded in the seventeenth century by a 
Persian adventurer from Isphahan. These two chiefs alone 
have the power of trying for capital offences. 

Malii Kanta. — In the Mahi Kanta Agency there are three 
score and odd petty chiefs, whose estates, with those of the 
Eajah of Idar, cover an area of 4,000 square miles, peopled 
by 311,000 souls. The only chief worth mentioning is the 
Eajah of Idar, a State founded in the eighteenth century by 
two younger brothers of the Eajah of Joudhpore. The en- 
gagements of the remainder with the Indian Government 
may, in the words of Colonel Malleson, be generally described 
as ^' engagements on their part not to rob or steal." 

Reiua Kanta. — The Eewa Kanta States, on the east of 
Baroda, cover an area of about 4,900 square miles, peopled 
mainly by Hindoos and Bheels. Among the sixty chiefs who 
have feudal relations with us, the Eajah of Eajpipla stands 
first. The tribute which his ancestors paid to Akbar, was 



176 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

afterwards transferred to the Gaikwar, but a portion of it is 
now paid to his British protectors. Chota Oodeypore and 
Deogurh Baria, both founded by Ohohan Kajpoots, passed 
under our protection in 1803. These two States yield a 
revenue, the one of 100,000, the other of 75,000 rupees a 
year. The revenues of the remaining chiefships are still 
smaller, though some of them have an area of several hun- 
dred square miles. Another group of small chiefships lies 
about the borders of Khandeish and Nasik. 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOSS. 177 



CHAPTEE XXX. 

NATIVE STATES— SOUTHERN INDIA. 

Hyderabad — ^Mysore — Cochin — Travancore — Padukatta — Petty Hill 

Chiefs. 

Hyderabad. — The largest Native State in India is that of 
Hyderabad, with an area of 98,000 square miles, larger than 
that of G-reat Britain, and a population of nearly 9,000,000. 
The first Nizam, or Subahdar of the Deccan, as he once was 
called, was Ohin Kilick Khan, a Turkish noble whose father 
had held high office under Aurungzebe. Under a show of 
allegiance to the Delhi emperors. Chin Kilick, otherwise 
Asaf Jah, extended his sway from the Nerbudda to Trichino- 
poli, and from Musulipatam to Beejapore. After his death, 
in 1748, the quarrels and intrigues of his sons brought the 
Mahrattas, the French, and fiaally the English into conflict 
or alliance with the rival claimants to the kingly power. 
Our first treaty with the reigning Nizam was made in 1759, 
when Salabat Jang ceded one of his districts, and promised 
to dismiss his French allies. A few years later a fresh alli- 
ance was sealed by the cession of more territory, in exchange 
for a British subsidy. In the war with Tippoo Sultan in 
1790, Nizam Ali found his advantage in siding with his En- 
glish friends, and his prudence was rewarded with a slice of 
Tippoo's kingdom. After the fall of Seringapatam, the 
Nizam's share of Tippoo's forfeited dominions was made oyer 
to the East India Company, as a provision for the payment 
of those auxiliary troops which he had bound himself to 
maintain under British officers, for the special purposes of 
British rule. 

His successor, Sikandar Jah, was an indolent, pleasure- 
loving priilce, who bore little love for his English protectors. 
But the services rendered by his troops during Lord Hastings's 
war with the Pindarees and Mahrattas in 1817-19, won for 
their sovereign a further increase of territory, and a final 
release from all feudal dues to his Mahratta neighbors. From 



178 INDIA AKD HER i^EIGHBORS. 

that time, however, the internal affairs of Hyderabad, in spite 
of English interference, fell into worse and worse disorder. 
The country was misgoverned, its revenues were plundered by 
greedy adventurers, a large body of unpaid or badly-paid sol- 
diers preyed upon the people, the great landholders waged war 
with each other, the Indian Government pressed in vain for 
the arrears of interest due on its loans to the Nizam. At last, 
in 1853, British forbearance could wait no longer. Under 
pressure from Lord Dalhousie, the Nizam of that day ceded 
In trust to his English creditors the fertile province of Berar, 
on condition that its surplus revenues, after defraying the 
cost of the Nizam's contingent, should be handed over to the 
Nizam's treasury. 

The capital is a large and populous fortified city, tenanted 
chiefly by Mussulmans of various races and sects, and adorned 
with numerous mosques, a fine palace, and the imposing group 
of buildings which form the residency. A sea of verdure 
divides the city from the neighboring cantonment of Sikun- 
derabad. Not many miles off is the famous battle-field of 
Assay e, where ^' the Sepoy General," Sir Arthur Wellesley, 
with his 4,500 English and native troops routed some 50,000 
Mahrattas in September, 1803. 

The ruined city pi Golconda is a few miles west of Hydera- 
bad. 

During the troubles of 1857, our hold on Southern India 
was greatly strengthened by the good- will, or, at least, the 
timely quiescence of Hyderabad. Happily for us, a wise and 
powerful minister, the Nawab Salar Jung, guided the counsels 
of the new Nizam. Any incipient rising was promptly 
quelled, and a part of the Nizam's Contingent fought bravely 
under English leading, side by side with the Sepoys of Bom- 
bay and Madras. In return for these services, half a million 
of the Nizam's public debt was cancelled, and a part of the 
ceded districts given back to him. His able minister became 
Sir Salar Jung, G.O.S.I., the new Order specially created to 
do honor to those Indian princes and nobles who had stood 
most loyally m their allegiance to the British Empire, and of 
those who otherwise deserved well of England for good service 
done for India. Under that minister's guidance, Hyderabad 
has ever since made steady progress in the paths of peace, 
order, and general well-doing. On the death of the last Nizam, 
in 1869, a Council of Eegency, headed by Sir Salar Jung, took 
the government into their hands during the minority of 



INDIA Aiq-D HER NEIGHBORS. 179 

Afzal-iid-daula's heir, then a delicate child of only four years. 
Watered by the Godavari, the Kistna, the Warda, and their 
respective feeders, Hyderabad is rich in natural resources, 
which have yet to be fairly developed. Eenowned in former 
days for the diamonds of Golconda, it has lately opened up 
new stores of wealth in the coal-fields, which spread far along 
the Warda Valley. There is an English Resident at the 
Nizam's Court, and a strong British garrison hard by, in the 
suburb of Secundrabad. The present Nizam is now eleven 
years of .age, receives a salute of twenty-one guns, and has a 
revenue of-£3,000,000. 

Mysore. — South of the Nizam's country, lies the woody and 
rugged table-land of Mysore, covering a surface of 29,000 
square miles, peopled bv more than five million souls. M}^- 
sore, best known historically as the seat of a Mahomedan 
power which gave us no little cause for anxiety, from the days 
of Warren Hastings to those of Lord Wellesley. Two able, 
bold, and ambitious rulers — Hyder Ali, a Path an ofiicer from 
Lahore, and his son, Tippoo — succeeded for more than thirty 
years in liolding the spoils first won by the former, against 
the onsets, single or combined, of Mahratta, Mogul, and En- 
glish arms. 

In 1799, Tippoo Sultan, relying upon aid from Erance, was 
rash enough to defy for the third time the British power, 
when Seringapatam was taken by storm under General Har- 
ris and Sir David Baird. After the place had fallen, the 
body of the Sultan was found in a gateway, under a heap of 
slain, preferring, as he had said, a soldier's death to an ig- 
nominious surrender. 

Eor centuries before Hyder rose in the service of the My- 
sore Rajah a long succession of Hindoo princes had ruled the 
country which Hyder was at length to win. After the fall of 
Seringapatam, in 1799, a part of Tippoo's dominions passed 
within the British pale, the remainder being handed back to 
a prince of the dynasty which Hyder had dethroned. During 
his minority Mysore was faii'ly governed by an able Brahmin 
minister; but, in 1832, the misrule of its new Rajah provoked 
Lord W. Bentinck to relieve him of a burden he was quite 
unfit to bear, and presently the government was entrusted to 
a British commissioner and his staff. It was not till 1867, a 
few months before the old Rajah died, that the right of his 
adopted heir to inherit the kingdom forfeited by his adoptive 
father was formally acknowledged by the Home Government 



180 IXDIA AIJ-D HEE N"EIGHBOKS. 

of India. In 1868 the new Rajali was duly proclaimed; but 
being then a little child^ his country remained under our man- 
agement, and an English tutor, Colonel Malleson, was ap- 
pointed to train him worthily for his future post. For that 
end no pains have since been spared, and the young Eajah 
gives fair promise of doing credit to his able guardian. The 
climate of Mysore, which lies exposed both to the southwest 
and northeast monsoons, is very moist, and this, combined 
with the general height of the country above sea-level, serves 
greatly to temper the fierce tropical heat. All sorts of wild 
beasts, including tigers and elephants, abound in the wooded 
valleys, and some of the coffee now exported from Southern 
India is grown in the highlands of Mysore. The revenue is 
£1,094,968. The ruler has a salute of twenty-one guns. 

Cochin. — To the south of Malabar lies the little Native State 
of Cochin, which, in spite of Portuguese and Dutch inroads, 
and of wars with Malabar, maintained for many centuries its 
old independence under its own Hindoo sovereigns. At last, 
however, it fell under the yoke of Hyder Ali, from whom, in 
1791, it was delivered by British help. Subsequent treaties 
bound the Zamorin of Cochin to pay us tribute in return for 
the British guarantee. 

Travancore. — From the southern frontier of Cochin to 
Cape Comorin extends the kingdom of Travancore over an 
area of 6,600 square miles, about five times the size of Cochin, 
with a population of two million and a quarter. Before the 
middle of the last century, Travancore was ruled by a num- 
ber of chiefs, whose subordination to one head was begun by 
Rajah Mastanda, and completed by his successor. The latter 
proved our staunch ally against Hyder Ali and his son Tip- 
poo. In 1793 he bargained to supply the Bombay Govern- 
ment with pepper in exchange for arms and European goods. 
Two years later he too entered into that system of subsidiary 
alliances which issued in establishing our supremacy over all 
India. In Travancore, as well as Cochin, exists the custom, 
handed down by the ]N"airs, the ruling class in those coun- 
tries, by which the succession to the guddee descends invari- 
ably in the female line. In other words, the. Rajah's next 
heir is never his own son, but the son of his sister or his 
daughter, or, failing these, of some near kinswoman whom 
he may have adopted. Besides various classes of Hindoos 
and Mussulmans, Travancore owns many thousands of native 
Christians, chiefly of the old Syrian Church. In this State, 



IKBIA AKB HER NEIGHBORS. 181 

also, the heat is largely tempered by the heavy rains, the sea 
breezes, and in many parts by the height of the land above 
the sea. Under the wise management of Sir T. Madhava 
Eao and the present minister, Travancore has become a model 
Native State, with a large yearly balance saved from its 
handsome revenues, while its schools, roads, reservoirs, and 
other public works, will bear comparison with those of 
many under our own rule. The Eajah is a Gr.O.S.I. His 
salute is seventeen guns. 

Padukatta. — On the eastern side of Southern India, be- 
tween Trichinopoli and Madura, is the little State of Padu- 
katta, whose ruler, commonly known as the Tondiman Eajah, 
belongs, like most of his subjects, to the Kullan or Thief 
Caste. His ancestors were our oldest and truest allies in the 
fight for empire last century with the French, and in our 
^subsequent wars with Mysore. 

Among lesser chiefs on the Madras side, we may mention 
the Eajah of Vizianagram, who claims descent from an old 
Eajpoot family, and receives a salute of thirteen guns, but 
retains no kind of political independence. 

Petty Hill-Chiefs. — In the Jeypore Agency (Madras), which 
once formed part of Orissa, a wild, rugged country, peopled 
thinly by aboriginal Konds, there are a number of petty chiefs, 
whose power over their own tribesmen is limited by the gen- 
eral control of the Political Agent. In the Central Provinces 
there are eighteen feudatory chiefs, ruling about a million of 
people, over an area of 28,000 square miles, and paying a 
fixed tribute yearly to the Indian Government. They are 
free to govern according to their own laws, so long as they 
keep the peace and refrain from oppression. Like conditions 
govern our relations with a number of petty chiefs in Orissa, 
in Chota-Nagpore, on the west ol Bengal, in Tipparah, to the 
south of Silhet, and in the hill districts of Assam, peopled by 
rude tribes of I^agas, Khasias, Garos, and so forth. The out- 
lying State of Munipore, on the Cachar frontier, with an area 
of 7,584 square mile, is ruled by a Eajah whose ancestors, 
with English help, threw off the Burman yoke in 1823, and 
who now enjoys a qualified independence under our guaran- 
tee. A small part of Kuch Behar, on the northern frontier 
of Bengal, is still governed by its own Eajah. 

We have now gone through the list of native States and 
chiefships which owe direct allegiance to the imperial crown. 
Their total revenue amounts to £14,500,000, of which only 



182 INDIA Al^D HER NEIGHBORS. 

about £742,000 accrues as tribute to the Paramount Power. 
Among them they can muster an armed force of 64,172 cav- 
alry, 241,063 infantry, and about 9,390 trained gunners, 
with 5,252 pieces of ordnance. A great many of these troops 
would probably count for little beside our own Sepoys, some 
of them being merely picturesque ruffians in old world link 
mail; but Scindia's infantry are highly disciplined and care- 
fully drilled, and the Nizam's troops are not to be despised. 
Each of the larger States moreover counts its guns by hun- 
dreds, such as they are, and it appears that some of the 
native princes, especially Scindiah, are beginning to adopt the 
short-service system, as a means of evading the rules which 
limit the numbers of their standing armies. 

Thus there is an army, more or less effective, of above 
300,000 men and over 5,000 guns in the service of the native 
princes of India. This enormous force is certainly not re- 
quired for internal tranquillity or for display on State occa- 
sions. As for external purpose, there is none, as the imperial 
power both restrains these vassal potentates from aggression 
upon each other and from every possible enemy from without. 
What, then, is the meaning of this immense standing army, 
which is being better armed and disciplined year by year, and 
notably in the case of Scindiah augmented by the short ser- 
vice system? 

It would be well to demand from H.H. of Gwalior some 
explanation of his evasion of the rules which define the num- 
ber of his troojos; and the costly and useless armies of the 
other feudatories should be either greatly reduced or a portion 
of them used for imperial i)urposes. 

Is what is now felt to be an inconvenience to be allowed to 
grow to a menace? This playing at soldiers on a large scale 
by the feudatory princes of India, the at present loyal sub- 
jects of her majesty, should cease, and the sooner the better 
for them and for us. 

Far be it from us to think that the opportunity we have 
given them of meeting at the imperial assemblage and else- 
where — bringing tribes and nations together that never met 
before face to face, or if they did in times past, it was too 
frequently for mutual destruction — can be turned to evil, or 
that, having made them to know each other, and enabled 
them to take counsel together and to estimate each other's 
strength, that they would be tempted to use the telegraph 
and the railway to communicate and combine against us and> 




INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 183 

misuse the very means which we have introduced for their 
and our own advantage. 

Yet, as the Paramount Power in India, we owe a duty to 
those who live under the shadow of our protection, to put an 
end to arrogant assumption, or evasion of treaties, and to 
curb these inflated, useless armaments, so fraught with future 
danger, especially toithe feudatory princes themselves. 

The British force in India consists of 65,000 Europeans, 
and 125,000 natiA^e troops under British officers, 190,000 in 
all, numerically less than two-thirds of the forces of the 
native princes. The troops of the feudatories would as a 
rule be useless against an external enemy, however well they 
might enact the part of Bashi-Bazouks in provinces which 
might be left unprotected by the withdrawal of our troops on 
any emergency. The contribution of £750,000 paid by the 
feudatory princes is much too small for the immnnity they 
enjoy from internal disturbances and external aggression, 
while their exchequer would be improved, and the bui^dens on 
their people lightened, by the enforced reduction of armies 
who have no foe to fight with, unless they turn their arms 
against their friends and protectors. 

The heroic and loyal conduct of some of the feudatory 
princes of India., especially during the Mutiny, has been done 
justice ito in former chapters. 

From the foregoing sketch it will be seen that within the 
boundaries of oi]^ Indian Empire, no such thing as an inde- 
pendent Native State exists, or has for many years past 
existed. From the time, indeed, when Lord Hastings dealt 
the death-blow to Mahratta ascendancy, the English have 
virtually remained Lords Paramount of all India. In 1819, 
says Captain Ti'otter, ''.the last of the Peishwas had ceased 
to reign, the Raja of Berar was a discrowned fugitive, the 
Raja of Satara a king only in name, while Sindia, Holkar, 
and the Nizam, were dependent princes, who reigned only by 
the sufferance of an English governor-general at Calcutta. 
The Mogul Empire lingered only in the palace of Delhi; its 
former viceroy, the Nawab of Oudh (afterwards king), was 
our obedient vassal; the haughty princes of Rajputana bowed 
their necks, more or less cheerfully, to the yoke of masters 
merciful as Akbar, and mightier than Aurangzebe. Ranjit 
Singh himself cultivated the good-will of those J)owerful 
neighbors who had sheltered the Sikhs of Sirhind from his 
ambitious inroads." The conquest of the Punjab, Scinde, 



184 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 



and British Burmah, the absorption of Oude, and the final 
extinction of the Delhi dynasty, completed the process begun 
by Clive. The royal proclamation of November, 1858, fol- 
lowed up by the Sunnads, or letters-patent, in which Lord 
Canning guaranteed to native princes and chiefs their old 
treaty rights, enlarged in some cases by new concessions, may 
be said to have formally reasserted the supreme powers which 
the. servants of the East India Company had for half a century 
wielded without dispute. The degrees of vassalage may vary 
widely, from the kind of sovereignty still enjoyed under the 
German Kaiser by the King of Saxony or Bavaria, to the very 
limited powers of an English land-owner acting as a justice of 
the peace. But of the vassalage itself there is no doubt what- 
ever. The most powerful of Indian princes holds his domin- 
ions by a tenure, differing only in degi*ee from that of the 
smallest feudatory who, within certain limits, rules over a few 
square miles of country in accordance with the rights trans- 
mitted from his forefathers. 

The proclamation of the queen at Delhi as Empress of 
India, on the 1st of January, 1877, while confirming the 
princes and people in the possession of their rights and priv- 
ileges, made it plain to all that their empress was not only 
the fountain of honor and beneficence, but of power also; that 
the destinies of India and England are one; the empress- 
tjueen being as much the sovereign of India as of England. 



*'The native Chiefs command collectively 5,252 Guns. 
9,390 trained Artillerymen, 64,172 Cavalry, and 241,063 Foot 
soldiers." They are cantoned as follows: 



Names of Divisious. 

Rajputana 

Central India - 

Central Provinces 

Western India 

Southern India. 

Eastern India 

Northern and Northwestern India 



Guns. 



2,003 
893 

1,083 
734 
109 
428 



Infantry. 



69,028 
55,664 

2.115 
32,770 
38,401 

5,264 
37.799 



Cavalry. 



24,287 

15,321 

140 

9,331 

8,262 

404 

6,407 



IITDIA ANp HER :N^EIGHB0RS. 



185 



'' The appended List will show how these forces are dis- 
tributed among the more important States:" 

I. 



states. 



Udaipur. . . 
Jaipur . . . . 
Jodhpur. . . 

Bundi 

Kota 

Jhalawar. . 

Tonk 

Karauli . . . 
Kishugarh , 
Dholpur . . 
Bharatpur. 

Alwar 

Bikanir. . . 
Jaisalmir. . . 

Sirohi 

Dong'arpur. 
Banswara. . 



Partabgarh 



Gwaliar. 
Indur. . . 
Bliopal . 
Dhar. . . 
Dewas. . 



Guns. 


Infantry. 


588 


15,100 


312 


10,509 


220 


4,000 


68 


2,000 


119 


4,600 


90 


3,500 


53 


2,288 


40 


3,200 


35 


2.000 


32 


3.650 


38 


8,500 


351 


5,633 


53 


940 


12 


400 




350 


4 


632 


3 


500 


12 


950 



II. 



210 

102 

39 

4 


16,050 

5,500 

4,766 

790 


— 


— 



III. 



Rewa ..... .-. 

Other States in Bundelkhund . 

IV. 

Barodah 

Kolhapur 

Kachh , 

Kathiwar , 



Haiderabad . 

Mysore 

Travankur. . 
Kochin. . . . 



Cis-Satlaj States . . . 

Kashmir 

Trans-Satlaj States. 
Bhawalpur 



YI. 



Petty States 



VII. 



421 



2,000 
22,163 



30 


11,000 


258 


1,502 


38 


600 


508 


15,306 



725 


36,890 


6 


1,000 


6 


1,211 


3 


300 



141 


7,185 1 


96 


18.436 


27 


3,275 


80 


2,484 



Cavalry. 

6^240 

3,530 

5,600 

200 

700 

400 

430 

400 

150 

610 

1,460 

2,280 

670 

500 

375 

57 

60 

275 

6,068 

3,000 

1,194 

370 



905 
2,677 

3.098 
154 
300 

3,033 

8,202 
35 
60 



3,191 

1,393 

300 

360 



302 I 18,000 I 4,000* 



♦Mallesop's " Native States of India." 



186 INDIA AND HEE IfEIGHBOES. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

FOEEIGN EUEOPEAN SETTLEMEi^TS IK INDIA. 
Portuguese — Dutch — Danish — French. 

The Portuguese. — To the Portuguese belongs the honor of 
having been the first of modern European nations to carry its 
arms and trade into any part of India. The fifteenth cent- 
ury, famous for the discovery of America by Columbus and 
his successors, saw also, in 1486, the successful rounding of 
the Cape of Storms— the name first given to the Cape of 
Good Hope by the brave Portuguese captain, Bartholomew 
Diaz. Twelve years later the yet more famous Vasco da 
Gama, the discoverer of Natal, cast anchor off Calicut, on 
the Malabar coast. His efforts to establish a peaceful trade 
with the subjects of the well-disposed Zamorin, or Tamuri, 
of Calicut, were thwarted by the intrigues of Moorish rivals 
from Egypt and Arabia, who begrudged a share of their 
profits to the strangers and infidels from the far West, and 
tried, but in vain, to capture Vasco's three ships on their 
homeward voyage. 

In 1500 the attempt to establish trade with Calicut was re- 
newed by Pedro Cabral, with a larger fleet. Moorish jeal- 
ousy again stood in the way, and a Portuguese factory at 
Calicut was carried by storm. After plundering and burn- 
ing some Moorish vessels, by way of reprisal, Cabral found a 
fjiendlier welcome at Cochin and Cannanore. Further in- 
.^ults to the Portuguese flag were requited two years later by 
Yasco da Gama himself, who bombarded Calicut and htoged a 
number of native fishermen, by way of a warning to their rulers. 
At Cochin, however, he found his countrymen fairly estab- 
lished as traders, under the protection of a rajah who refused 
to obey the orders of his suzerain, the now hostile Zamorin 
of Calicut. 



IKDIA AND HER KEIGHBOES. 187 

In the next few years the Portuguese fleets at Chaul, Din, 
and elsewhere, fought winning battles against numerous, and 
sometimes formidable, foes. Under the far-famed Albu- 
querque the Portuguese ere long carried their arms from Or- 
muz, in the Persian Grulf, to Malacca, and Goa itself became 
the seat of his viceregal sway. Some years after his death, 
in 1515, the port of Diu, on the southern coast of Kattywar, 
fell at last into Portuguese hands. Its capture was shortly 
followed by that of Daman, on the coast, between Surat and 
the Northern Concan. Attacked in yain by the fleets and 
armies of neighboring rulers, Diu for some time flourished as 
the chief seat of Portuguese trade in the Gulf of Cambray. 

During the sixteenth century the Portuguese reigned su- 
preme on the seas, and along the coast of Western India. A 
great league of native princes warrod for ten months in vain 
against the splendid city of Goa, defended only by 700 sol- 
diers and 1,300 monks, with the help of their armed slaves. 
Th^ chief seat of Portuguese rule in India had already be- 
come the great stronghold of Eoman Christianity in the East, 
governed by an archbishop whose influence was strengthened 
by a large body of monks,- and secured by the terrors of the 
Inquisition. There is a noble cathedral, and a church which 
contains the shrine of St. Prancis Xavier, Eome's first and 
noblest apostle to the East.* The churches founded by him 

* " The road to the cathedral passes under a large arched gateway. In a niche 
over the arch, beneath one of St. Catherine, stands a painted statue of Vasco da 
(not de) Gama, and we were told that it was of necessity that each governor of Goa 
should go under this archway—' Aliter Gubernator not potest fieri.' There was 
one of the smooth, well-bred, amiabk? ecclesiastics, who are ever to be found in 
situ, to show the prince round and explain everything. The cathedral inside is of 
vast and noble proportions, very plain and massive outside. It contains shrines 
and chapels, and much gilding, many middling pictures, fine old silver work. 
There were only seven worshippers— all women, all natives— all before one shrf-o: 
at least, they were real, for the visit was a surprise. What had become of the 
worshippers for whom these churches had been erected? Or were they the work 
of Faith and Hope? From the cathedral the prince went to the Bom Jesus. On 
the steps a musical performance welcomed the prince, which he never heard or 
saw the like of before. One tall, lanky native gentleman, whose principal raiment 
was a big drum slung from his neck, belabored that instrument with one hand, 
and with the other held to his mouth a fearful tube of brass, from which he com- 
pelled the most dreadful sounds. A boy beside him, without the benefit of drum, 
clanged two cymbals, and a couple of youths joined in, one on a kettledrum the 
other on a drum simple. Above tlais din rose the ding-dong of the small, and the 
sonorous roll of the great, bell of the church, and the barking of noisy curs. 
There were no beggars, and that for the reason that there were no people to be 
begged of. The Bom Jesus is chiefly noted for the shrine of St. Francis Xavier, a 



188 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

are still conspicuous — with their Christian villages nestling 
under palm-trees — to the traveler as he passes the southern 
shores of the peninsula. Monasteries, churches, palaces, and 
other public buildings still attest the former greatness of a 
power now hastening to decay. The middle of the same cen- 
tury (the sixteenth) saw the Portuguese established also in 
the valley of the Granges, at a place since known as Hooghly, 
on the river of that name. In Ceylon, also, they soon ob- 
tained a footing. Of the sea-borne trade of India, the coun- 
trymen of Albuquerque enjoyed, if not quite a monopoly, at 
least the lion's share. No foreign ship in these waters could 
hope to trade in peace without a Portuguese passport, or was 
free to trade at all if a Portuguesa vessel remained unloaded. 
But, with the first years of the seventeenth century, new 
rivals began to assert their strength. To the daring Dutch- 
men, fresh from their revolt against Spain, the Portuguese 
gradually yielded Ceylon and Malacca. English fleets drove 
them out of Ormuz, and wrested from them the trade of 
Surat. Chimnajee, brother of the Mahratta Pe'ishwa, Bajee 
Kao, drove them in 1739 out of Bassein and Salsette. 

Long before then, in 1632, their settlement at Hooghly had 
been stormed by Shah Jehau's Moguls, with heavy slaughter 
of its brave garrison, and the almost utter destruction of a 
very large fleet of merchantmen. Thenceforth the Portu- 
guese never rose again to power on the side of Bengal. 

By the middle of the eighteenth century the glory had de- 
parted from the Portuguese possessions in Western India also. 
A Portuguese viceroy still rules over a province forty miles 
long by twenty wide, and inhabits a huge palace in New G-oa, 
overlooking a harbor second only to that of Bombay. Bat 
Old Goa is now little more than a cluster of splendid ruins; 
and the trade of the modern city, built largely of materials 
brought from Old G-oa, has dwindled down to a mere nothing 
before the advance of its great English rival on the same 
coast. Diu and Daman have both shared in the same decay, 
although the former affords good anchorage, while Daman 
can still boast of its docks and its appliances for building 

man whom the churclies of the world may unite in accepting as a true apostle. It 
is certainly" one of the most beautiful and one of tlie richest objects of the kind 
which can be seen anywhere. But it is placed in a veiy small, dark chapel, and 
can scarcely be conveniently examined. The treasuries, full of gold and silver 
cups for the sacred elements, were opened, and their contents and many curiosi- 
ties were exhibited."— "The Prince of Wales's Tour," by W. H. Russell. 



IKDIA AND HER :N-EIGHB0RS. 189 

ships. At Goa the Prince of Wales met with an interesting 
and impressive reception. 

The Dutch. — The first appearance of the Dutch in Indian 
waters was, ere long, followed by the establishment of trading 
factories at Surat, Balasore, Chmsnrah, and other places 
along the coast. In the early part of the seventeenth century 
the Hollanders seem to have entered into a sort of trade-alli- 
ance with their English cousins in the East; but after the col- 
lapse of their Portuguese rivals, the jealousies which sprang 
up between the two Teutonic nations bloomed forth at last in 
the massacre, under judicial forms, of twelve Englishmen at 
Amboyna, in 1623, and the closing of the Moluccas to En- 
glish trade. A temporary revival of the old concert took place 
in 1627, when a fleet of Dutch and English ships sailed to- 
gether from Surat to form a settlement in Bombay. That 
scheme, however, came to nought, and a bitter spirit of rivalry 
marked the subsequent career of the^r Dutch and English 
merchant companies. During the war between England and 
Holland, which broke out in 1652, the Dutch wrought much 
damage to our trade in the East, especially at Surat. In 
1656, three years after the peace, they retook Colombo from 
the Portuguese, and gained possession of Calicut. Again in 
1673, towards the close of another war which left England 
supreme at sea, a strong Dutch fleet threatened Bombay, and 
afterwards sunk or captured several of our merchantmen off 
Masiilipatam. 

From that time, for many years to come, the Dutch and 
English in India held their several ways in peace and com- 
parative friendliness, the power and interests of the former 
being centred rather in Java than in India itself, where the 
only troubles the English encountered arose from the aggres- 
sions of native princes in Bengal and Maharashtra, on the 
Malabar coast, on the opposite side of the Peninsula. At last, 
in 1759, the intrigues of Meer Jaffier, the new English-made 
Nowab of Bengal, with the Dutch at Chins urah, led to a 
sharp but short struggle between the latter and the country- 
men of our gallant Clive, fresh from the victories which had 
avenged the disaster of the Black Hole. In requital for out- 
rages done to English shipping in the Hooghly, Commodore 
Wilson, with his three men-of-war, attacked and captured 
twice their number of, the Dutch ships. On the plain of 
Bidara, outside Chinsurs?^, a force of Dutchmen and Malays 
was heavily routed by about half as many Englishmen and 



1 



190 lifDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

Sepoys under Olive's best officer, the bold Colonel Forde, who 
had been told by Clive to ''fight immediately," and the 
Order in Oouncil should be sent him on the morrow. 
Thoroughly humbled by these defeats, the Dutch were glad 
enough to accept peace on Olive's own terms, and to resume 
the footing on which they had hitherto traded in Bengal. 

In 1781, when Holland and England were again at war. 
Sir Hector Munro, the hero of the splendid victory of Buxar, 
in 1764, attacked and captured the strong Dutch settlement 
of Negapatam, at the mouth of the Oavery. This success 
was followed early in the next year by the capture of several 
Dutch settlements in Oeylon. Later wars resulted in fresh 
victories, and before the end of the eighteenth century the 
Dutch had lost all their possessions in India and Oeylon. In 
1811 their losses were crowned by the conquest of Java under 
Sir Samuel Achmuty; but after a few years of English rule 
that island was finaiJy restored to its former masters in 1816. 
Ohinsurah itself, which still remained in Dutch keeping, was 
made over to England, with Malacca and some other places 
in the Eastern seas, in exchange for our possessions in 
Sumatra. 

The Danes. — Denmark also played its part among the 
pioneers of European trade with India. About 1619 the 
agents of a Danish company made their way from Oeylon to 
the coast of Tanjore, and with the countenance of its Eajah 
founded their first settlement at Tranquebar, whose old Dan- 
ish fort, the Dansborg, still gleams white and picturesque as 
viewed from the sea. In the course of a century of peaceful 
trade broken by few quarrels with neighbors of either color, 
the Danes had carried their settlements, few and far between, 
up the Bay of Bengal into the Hooghly. A few miles above 
Calcutta, on the opposite bank, they founded Serampore, " a 
handsome place " — wrote Heber in 1825 — " kept beautifully 
clean, and looking more like a EuroiDcan town than Cal- 
cutta." Here, towards the end of the last century, Messrs. 
Carey, Marshman and Ward founded a Baptisi) Mission, 
whose work, though hindered for a time by the English mas- 
ters of Bengal, was destined to smooth the way for other 
laborers in the same field. Long before then, in the first 
years of the same century, Tranquebar itself became the seat 
of a Danish Protestant Mission, ere long to be rendered 
famous by the life and labors of its* greatest leader. Christian 
J'rederic Swartz, the Protestant Xavier. Erom 1 750, for more. 



IlfDIA AND HER KEIGHBOES. 191 

than thirty years, did Swartz pursue his self-denying career 
among the natives of Southern India, winning reverence for 
his spotless worth, even from the fierce Hyder Ali. On one 
occasion, when the Madras government sought to treat with 
the formidable ruler of Mysore, he refused to receive an en- 
voy from their own service. *^ Let them send me the Chris- 
tian" (meaning Swartz), "he will not deceive me." On his 
death-bed the Eajah of Tanjore begged the great missionary 
to undertake the guardianship of his son and heir. Nearly 
to the middle of this century the Danes contrived to keep 
their footing on Indian ground. But meanwhile the British, 
color had been spreading over the map of India, and the Dan- 
ish settlements had become more of a burden than a gain to 
the mother country. Thus it -happened that in 1845 Seram- 
pore and Tranquebar were handed' over to the East India 
Company in exchange for a goodly sum of ready money. 

Tlie French. — Last, but not least conspicuous of the 
European candidates for a share of India's wealth, were the 
French, whose first settlements at Pondicherry on the Madras 
coast, and Chandernagore on the Hooghly, date only from 
the latter half of the seventeenth century. It was in 1664 
that the first French " Company of the Indies " was started 
under the auspices of the great minister, Colbert. Four years 
later, the first French factory was established at Surat. The 
Grand Monarque had declared " that it was not beneath the 
dignity of a gentleman to trade with India," and ere long 
the French had gained a footing at Masulipatam and St. 
Thome, or Milapore, on the Madras coast. On their expul- 
sion from the latter place by the Datch in 1674, some of its 
defenders under the gallant Martin set forth to found a new 
settlement on the sea coast, about 80 miles south of Madras, 
on a piece of ground obtained from Sher Khan Lodi, Governor 
of the Carnacic for the King of Beejapore. After a strug- 
gling infancy, imperilled by the movements of the famous 
Mahratta, Sivajee, the new settlement of Pondicherry, as it 
came to be called, in 1679 became the freehold of the French. 
Company, and Martin set to work at fortifying the future 
capital of French India. But the Dutch at that time were 
too strong for him, and in 1693 Pondicherry, after a stout 
resistance, passed into their hands. 

Four years afterwards it was restored to its former owners 
under the treaty of Ryswick. Martin resumed his old post, 
and with the aid of his countrymen soon made Pondicherry 



192 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

safe from ordinary risks of capture. The town itself grew 
into a handsome city, defended by a strong T'rench gar- 
rison, and important as the chief seat of French power in 
India. 

In the first half of the eighteenth century, Mahe, on the 
Malabar coast, and several other places were added to the 
French Company's rule. 

Chandernagore prospered under the management of Du- 
pleix, whose talents were soon to display themselves on a 
wider theatre. In 1741 he became Governor of Pondicherry. 
Five years later the capture of Madras by the high-souled, but 
ill-starred, Labourdonnais, encouraged Dupleix to carry out 
a scheme of conquest, which at one time bade fair to place 
France, not England, at the head of all India. His trained 
Sepoys taught our own countrymen how to win victories against 
any number of ill-led native troops. The peace of Aix-la- 
Chapelle, in 1748, involved the surrender of Madras to the 
English, but it set Dupleix free to make his power felt over 
all the neighboring princes, to control the destinies of the 
Deccan under a ruler of his own choosing, and to win for his 
masters the virtual lordship of the Oarnatic. 

Dupleix was at this time a power in India. He dominated 
over the native princes, and, disdaining the feeble action of 
the English, cherished the idea of founding for his country a 
vast empire in the East, and for himself he had the wildest 
visions of future power and glory. He was gorgeously arrayed 
and held great state, in strange contrast to the simple attire 
and modest appointments of his English rivals. Princes were 
his vassals, and the revenues of provinces flowed into his 
exchequer. He was a master in intrigue and without a rival 
in resource, and never faltered in his diplomatic resolves; but 
he required others to fight his battles. He was not a soldier, 
and disliked the noise and turmoil of war as unsuitable to his 
genius. He required tranquillity for the elaboration of his 
plans, and this course he defended in language worthy of 
Captain Bobadil. Dupleix was a great man nevertheless. 

He reckoned, however, without that sturdy force of En- 
glish rivalry which was soon to bear fruit in the victories of 
Clive and Lawrence, bettering the lessons they had learned 
from the French. His own recall in 1755 proved perhaps a 
yet deadlier blow to schemes which his weaker successors 
lacked the means or the energy to carry to successful issues. 
In 1757, the year of Plassey, Clive became master of Chan- 



IKDIA k^T> HER NEIGHBORS. 193 

derna<'-ore. His best subaltern, Porde, drove the French in 
Bussy"s absence, out of the Northern Oircars. In yam did 
the brave but hot-headed Laljy attempt to stay the tide ot 
England's fortunes by the capture of Fort St. David, and the 
siecre of Madras. On the road to recover the former lay 
the'' city of the victory of Dupleix, and the stately monument 
which was designed to commemorate the triumphs of 1^ ranee 
in the East. Ohve ordered both the city and the monument 
to be razed to the ground. He was induced, we believe to 
take this step, not bv personal or national malevolence, but 
by a I'ust and profound policy. The town and its pompous 
name the pillar and its vaunting inscriptions, were among 
the devices by which Dupleix had laid the public mmd ot 
India under a spell. This spell it was Olive's business to 
break. The natives had been taught that France was con- 
fessedly the first power in Europe, and that the Enghsh did 
not presume to dispute her supremacy. No measure could 
be more effectual for the removing of this delusion than the 
public and solemn demolition of the French trophies. * Eyre 
Coote's crushing defeat of the French at Wandiwash was 
crowned by the capture of Bussy, the only Frenchman who 
had seemed to approach the genius of Dupleix. With the 
fall of Karical, in 1760, nothing remained of Dupleix s em- 
pire save Pondicherry. In the following January Lally him- 
self was starved into surrendering the stronghold which, with, 
failing means and ever-darkening hopes, he had defended 
against a close siege of four months. ^ 

With the fall of Pondicherry the French power m India 
may be said to have passed away. On the peace of Pans m 
1763 the French regained possession both of Pondicherry and 
Ohandernagore. But never again could they make head 
against the growing power of their English rivals. In 1778, 
when the two nations were again at war, and Warren Has- 
tings was governor-general of India, both these places were 
recaptured by our troops, and the fortifications of Pondicherry 
once more destroyed. A few months later not an inchot 
ground in India remained to the French. Twice again, with 
returning peace, was Pondicherry restored to its first owners, 
only to fall again, after a brief interval, into our hands. 

Meanwhile the old rivalrjr between French and Enghsh 
was maintained into the beginning of this century by a suc- 

* " Critical and Historical Essays," by Lord Macaulay, and " Life of Olive," by 
Sir John Malcolm. 



194 IKDIA AND HER ISTEIGHBORS. 

cession of Frencli officers who placed their swords at the dis- 
posal, now of Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sahib, now of the Nizam 
of Scindia, or of any prince strong enough to strike a blow 
for the sovereignty of India. But it was all in vain. His 
French allies failed to avert the doom which overtook Tippoo 
under the gateway at Seringapatam; Eaymond's Sepoy bri- 
gades were disarmed by Malcolm, and disbanded at Hydera- 
bad. 

Perron was glad to retire from Scindiah's service, " when 
every hereditary pirince, from the Sutlej to the Nerbudda, 
acknowledged him as master, and he enjoyed an income 
equal to that of the present Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief 
of India combined; at this climax of his fortune when he 
was actually believed to have sent an embassy to the first 
Consul of the French Eepublic." * 

The famous Savoyard General De Boigne's trained battal- 
ions were nearly annihilated by Lake's Englishmen and Se- 
poys at Laswari. 

After the peace of Paris in 1814, Pondicherry, Chanderna- 
gore, Mahe, Karical, and Yanaon on the Orissa coast, were 
finally restored to France. Of these places Pondicherry 
alone retains any of its old importance. The city and sur- 
rounding country cover an area of 107 square miles, peopled 
by about 140,000 souls, of whom less than half are contained 
within the town itself. Described by Lord Valentia in the 
beginning of this century as the handsomest town he had 
seen in India except Calcutta, Pondicherry with its well-built 
streets, shady boulevards, and white stuccoed public build- 
ings, still retains much of its former beauty; and its light- 
house, 90 feet high, throws its friendly warning many miles 
out to sea. But the city has no harbor, and its declining 
trade now barely exceeds the value of £200,000 a year. 

Chandernagore also has seen its best days, and the Hooghly, 
which once bore the largest vessels thither, now flows in shal- 
low volume past its lonely quays and grass-grown streets. 
The Prince of Wales was received here with much simplicity 
and cordiality. 

The rivalry of the English and French for empire in India 
has been very remarkable, and the contrast of the treatment 
of the officers of the two countries at the hands of their gov- 
ernments on their return home, will be found not less so. 

*' The equitable and temperate proceedings of the British 

» " The Tall of the Moghul Empire," by H. G. Keene. 



IlfDIA AKD HER KEIGHBORS. 195 

Parliament (respecting Lord Olive's conduct in India) were 
set off to the greatest advantage by a foil. The wretched 
government of Louis the Fifteenth had murdered, directly 
or indirectly, almost every Frenchman who had served his 
country with distinction in the East. Labourdonnais was 
flung into the Bastile, and, after years of suffering, left it 
only to die. Dupleix, stripped of his immense fortune, and 
broken-hearted by humiliating attendance in ante-chambers, 
sank into an obscure grave. Lally was dragged to the com- 
mon place of execution with a gag between his lips. The 
Commons of England, on the other hand, treated their living- 
captain with that discriminating justice which is seldoui 
shown except to the dead."* When thus praising ourselves 
for the treatment of our public men, let us not forget Sir 
Walter Ealeigh, Warren Hastings, and Governor Eyre, lest 
we become too proud. 

* Critical and Historical Essays by Lord Macaulay. 



196 INDIA AJSTD HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

COMMERCE or INDIA. 

Cotton — Effects of Civil War in America — Cotton Manufacture revived 
in a new form in India. 

Commerce. — From the very earliest times India has been a 
great commercial country, and to trade with the Indies was 
the ambition of each European nation as it rose in the scale 
of civilization and power. To the Portuguese belong the 
credit of the first successful trade operations between Europe 
and India by sea, as has been already stated, and to their in- 
trepid navigator, Vasco da Gama, are we indebted for the 
discovery of the Cape of Good Hope route, by which for three 
centuries and a half the vast bulk of the traffic was conveyed. 

Our own commercial relations with this great country date 
from the year 1600, when Queen Elizabeth granted a cliarter 
to a number of London merchants, and from this small com- 
mencement developed the powerful East India Company, 
which not only displaced the commerce of Portugal, Holland, 
and France, but became the political ruler of India until ab- 
sorbed by her majesty's government in 1858. 

Since the days of the Company's factories or trading es- 
tablishments, the trade of India has undergone, not only 
gigantic growth, but many changes. The varied climate of 
India, and her abundant population, enable her to produce 
almost everything that is necessary or agreeable to man. As 
the Crimean war stopped the trade in Eussian hemp, and de- 
veloped the growth of cotton and jute, and the American 
war further enriched the cotton growers of India, so, whilst 
under the peaceable and beneficent rule of Great Britain, 
India will always gain by the cessation of production in other 
parts of the globe, from war or any other calamity. India is 
eminently an agricultural country, two-thirds of her dense 
population live by the cultivation of the soil, and the land 
tax still yields the chief part of the revenue. 

To develop the resources of a country is to utilize its soil 
and climate for the growth of the products most suited to 



liTDIA AN'D HER NEIGHBORS. 



197 



them, and to provide easy transit for the exchange of com- 
modities from one district to another. This simple truism, 
too often neglected, is becoming more apparent to the Gov- 
ernment of India and to the people, and to this we are in- 
debted to a great extent for the large annual outlay upon 
roads, railways, and canals. 

The industry of the Indian cultivator is ably seconded by 
the merchant, and trade, both home and foreign, is steadily 
growing; but, large as its proportions now are, it may be re- 
garded only as yet in its infancy. 

The home trade consists of the exchange of products from 
one province to another; for instance, since the extended 
growth of cotton in Western India, and of coffee in Ceylon 
and the Malabar coast districts, grain and sugar have had to 
be imported from Bengal in large quantities to supply the 
wants of these districts. Under the head of home trade may 
also' be included the barter or exchange of commodities with 
the countries bordering upon India; though it is known to be 
very extensive, no reliable statistics exist by which its value 
can be gauged. The home coasting trade is estimated at 
£25,000,000 per annum; 15,000 vessels and native craft of 
all kinds are employed upon it. The value of the foreign 
trade is more readily arrived at by the custom-house returns, 
and the following figures from the Government Blue Book 
show the progress that has been made: 

FOREIGN TRADE OF INDIA, INCLUSIVE OF THE 
PRECIOUS METALS AT 2s. PER RUPEE. 



Yearly average during each half -decade for forty years, ending 31s< March, 
1875, with the average yearly excess of Imports over Exports, or Exports 
over Imports, for each period. 











Excess of 


Excess of 


Average of 


Import. 


Export. 


Total. 


Import over 


Export over 


live Years. 


£ 


^ 


£ 


Export. 


Import. 


1836-1840. 


7,640,428 


11,951,620 


19,592.048 




4,311,192 


1841-1845. 


11.799,600 


15,525,320 


27,324,920 




3,725,720 


1846-1850. 


12,047,407 


17.112,846 


29,160.253 




5,065,439 


1851-1855. 


16.066.186 


20.399,270 


36,465,456 




4,333,084 


1856-1860. 


32,022,778 


27.586.461 


59,609.239 


4,436,317 




1861-1865. 


42,841,401 


51,285,802 


94.127,263 




8,444,401 


1866-1870. 


48,788.346 


54,473.089 


103,261,435 




5.684,743 


1871-1875. 


39,511.389 


58,696.784 


98.208.173 




18,185.395 



198 IKDIA AKD HEK KBIGHBORS. *" 

Trade op Bombay. — The trade returns of British India for the 
twelve months from 1st April, 1876, to 31st March, 1877, show that the 
imports of merchandise amounted to Rs. 37,26,13,319, and of treasure 
toRs. 11,43,61,197; total, Rs. 48,69,74,416. The exports of merchan- 
dise were valued at Rs. 61,07,65,941, and of treasure to Rs. 4,02,08,978; 
total, Rs. 65,10,64,919. The share of Bombay, exclusive of Scinde, in 
this trade, was as follows: 

Imports. 

Merchandise Rs. 12,74,72,244 

Treasure 8,29,61,582 

Total Rs. 21,04,33,826 

Exports. 

Foreign Goods Rs. 1,79,15,882 

Indian Produce and Manufactures 20,62,48,065 

Treasure 3,29,06,758 

Total Rs. 25,70,70,705 

That is to say, the trade of Bombay amounted to more than 40 per cent, 
of the whole trade of India. The figures of the trade of Scinde stand 
thus: Imports of merchandise, Rs. 32,04,621; treasure, Rs. 28,610; total, 
Rs. 32,33,231. Exports of merchandise, Rs. 1,64,60,787; treasure, 
Rs. 1,87,950; total, Rs. 1,66,48,737. The whole volume of Indian trade 
was larger last year than in any previous year since the American War. 
The value of the wheat exported rose from Rs. 90,10,255 in 1875-76 to 
Rs. 1,95,63,325 in 1876-77. 

During these forty years the above figures show that there 
has been an excess of exports over imports amounting to 
£226,500,000, or at the rate of £5,650,000 per annum. Dur- 
ing the last fifteen years, commencing three years after the 
Mutiny, the excess export has averaged £10,777,000 per 
annum. 

The import of gold and silver during the four decades 
included above, amounted to £342,360,546, whilst the export 
only reached £43,192,463 during the game time, showing the 
enormous absorption of £300,000,000 in round numbers, or at 
the rate of £7,500,000 worth of these durable and universally 
valuable commodities per annum. 

England of course occupies the place of first importance in 
the trade with India; China is next in rank, but all civilized 
countries, to a greater or less extent, are steady and increasing 
consumers of her products. 

The principal exports are cotton, opium, rice, grain, jute, 
tea, coffee, timber, indigo, saltpetre, tobacco, seeds, shellac. 



IKDtA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 19^ 

gums, oils, wool, cocoa-nut and cocoa-nut fibre, shawls, and 
other valuable fabrics. In exchange, India imports cotton 
and woollen goods, and other manufactured goods of all kinds, 
machinery, clothing, stationery, railway materials, wines and 
spirits, besides metals, salt, coals, and other raw products, 
and many other articles. 

Cotton. — Of the above articles of export cotton is first in 
value, and from time immemorial has been one of India's 
staple products. The beautiful gossamers, the woven air 
muslins of Dacca, and the calicoes of Southern India, soft in 
texture and tasteful in design, enjoyed a world-wide renown 
when the textile productions of Europe were rude and unde- 
veloped. 

In the earlier years of trade with India, it was these fine 
manufactured goods which were sent to Europe, and not the 
raw material, and the hand-loom weavers in every Indian vil- 
lage supplied serviceable cloths for the wants of their neigh- 
bors, and had to spare for other countries. The invention of 
steam machinery, coupled with the cheapening of freight 
which followed the extensive growth of our mercantile ma- 
rine, brought about a gradual change. England in turn 
became the manufacturer of cotton goods for consumption in 
India, receiving back the raw material; and extensive cotton 
fields grew up in all parts of India, the chief seat of produc- 
tion being in the western provinces, for which Bombay is the 
outlet. The civil war in America in 1861 gave a new and 
powerful impulse to the growth of Indian cotton, and in a 
few years it rose in value from 6 to 37 1-2 millions sterling. 
The producing districts for a moment became rich beyond 
the dream of avarice, and the formerly poor Eyots became 
men of substance, independent of loans from the usurious 
money-lenders, and able to deck out their wives and daugh- 
ters in costly ornaments of gold and silver. With the close 
of the civil war this flush of prosperity began to wane, 
American cotton gradually assumed its old ascendancy in the 
English markets, and the value of raw cotton exported from 
.India consequently fell in 1872 to about fourteen millions 
sterling. 

Another change is now taking place. India is again re- 
suming the manufacture of cotton goods, and in the neigh- 
borhood of Bombay and Calcutta many spinning mills, sup- 
plied with the best machinery of the day, have been erected. 
It is found that the supple fingers, quick intelligence, and 



200 INDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 

patient habits of the natives of India make them the best of 
mill-hands, and bearing in mind the cheapness of their labor 
as compared with that of Europeans, and the fact that the 
raw material is at hand, and that there is a ready sale for the 
goods when made, it is evident this comparatively new in- 
dustry, or more properly speaking, old industry revived in a 
new form, must rapidly grow, and it is well that we should 
be prepared for its competing with our home manufactures, 
not only in the Indian markets but elsewhere. 



INDIA AKD HEB NEIGHBORS. 201 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

COMMEKCE or INDIA. — continued. 

Rice — Jute — Cereals— Seeds— Tea— Sugar— Opium— Coffee— Indigo — 
Saltpetre— Timber — Tobacco — Agriculture — Primitive method of 
Natives — European Planters. 

nice. — Next to cotton, rice ranks in quantity, thougb. not 
in value; as an export, and few trades have grown with the 
extraordinary rapidity of the Indian rice trade. From Cal- 
cutta and the ports on the Madras coast rice is extensively- 
shipped to Bambay and the ports on the west coast of India,, 
to Muscat, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea ports, Mauritius,, 
and Australia. It is from British Burmah, however, thai;, 
the rice trade has developed in the most remarkable degree.. 
Little more than twenty years have elapsed since the first 
cargo of rice was exported from a Burmese port, and now the 
exports thence exceed half a million of tons annually to all 
parts of the globe. This very cheap and nutritious article of 
food is growing in favor, particularly on the continent of Eu- 
rope, and it is to be regretted that the people of England do 
not sufficiently appreciate it. 

Jute. — How little is known to the public at large of this 
most useful article of commerce! To many well-informed 
persons the name even is unknown, and yet what a conspicu- 
ous place it occupies in the manufactures of the United King- 
dom and India! The jute or Indian hemp trade received its 
first important start in 1854, during the war with Russia, but 
the civil war in the United States gave the strongest impetus 
to it. Before the year 1853 the export of jute from Calcutta 
was only about 20,000 bales; in 1863 the exports were 800,000 
bales, and in 1872 the shipments of jute and jute cuttings 
actually exceeded 2,000,000 bales. Of this quantity the 
Unitedi Kingdom took about a million and a half bales, 
America 450,000, and the Continent the remainder. But, in 



202 IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

addition to the large quantities of raw material thus export- 
ed, there is a considerable local consumption of jute cloth, 
and extensive export of manufactured articles. In the year 
182'2, above referred to, there were 106,000 pieces of gunny 
cloth and 28,500,000 gunny bags exported from Calcutta. 
Jute is used for sacking, sail-cloth, carpet manufacture, pa- 
per making, and many other purposes. This one article of 
commerce has built up the prosperity of the town of Dundee, 
and the trade bet weei) Calcutta and that port employs a splen- 
did fleet of iron sailing ships, of which the nation may be 
proud. The quantity of jute imported into the United 
Kingdom now exceeds 200,000 tons per annum. Some ex- 
cellent jute mills have recently been erected in the neiglibor- 
hood of Calcutta, but the manufacture is at present chiefly 
confined to sacking and gunny bags, which are exported to 
China, Australia, and all parts of the globe. 

Efforts are being made to establish the manufacture of the 
finer descriptions of cloth, and with reasonable prospects of 
success. 

Cereals. — -Hitherto India has not been a large^rain-export- 
ing country; wheat, maize, barley, and pulse have been chiefly 
grown for home consumption, and the exports have been com- 
paratively limited owing to grain deteriorating during the 
long sea voyage round the Cape to Europe; hut the opening 
of the Suez Canal and the construction of railways and roads 
in India having accelerated the transport to Europe, wheat 
has been shipped, in annually increasing quantities from Cal- 
cutta, Bombay, and Kurrachee to London and Liverpool. 
Last year five per cent, of the British imports of wheat came 
from India, and there can be little doubt the trade will grow 
rapidly. The valleys of the Nerbudda, Upper Ganges, Indus, 
and other large rivers in India are capable of producing an 
almost unlimited supply of wheat, and demand will speedily 
ensure it. The average annual importation of w^heat into 
England at the present time is about 12,500,000 quarteis, 
and with our rapidly-increasing population and decrease of 
arable land, the deficiency of home-grown breadstuffs must 
increase. The knowledge of this fact has long occasioned 
more or less anxiety." It has been stated that the great 
wheat-producing countries have only to combine to withhold 
their supplies to starve us into submission. It is improbable 
that such a state of things could be brought about, but ad- 
mitting the possibility, why should not India, in this respect, 



IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 



203 



largely provide for our requirements? The exportation of 
wheat would enrich her, by forcing a larger importation of 
the precious metals which would tend to diminish the losses 
in exchange with Europe, which have of late been sustained 
by merchants who. have had to remit money from the East, 
and by servants of the crown, whose incomes are derived from 
India. 

Lord Lawrence, in his report on the Punjaub when lieu- 
tenant-governor, states that 500,000 tons of wheat might be 
exported annually from that province alone,* without inter- 
fering with the wants of the people, and the Times recently 
drew attention to the following remarkable growth of the 
Calcutta wheat trade: In 1870 the quantity of wheat exported 
from Calcutta was 2,000 tons, in 1873 it was 10,000, and in 
the first eight months of the last year (1876) no less than 



CLEARANCES OF WHEAT TO GREAT BRITAIN DURING 

1876. 





London. 


Liverpool. 


Hull. 


Dun 


dee Falmouth, 






Canal. 


Cape. 


Canal. 


Cape. 


Canal. 


CaT 


)e. Cape. 


Total. 




Tons. 


Tons. 


Tons. 


Tons. 
100 


Tons. 


Toi 


IS. Tons. 


Tons. 


Jan 


2.735 


16 


.. 


^ . 


1( 


)0 


2,951 


Feb. .. 


3,330 


, , 


, , 


. . 


. , 




. 




3,330 


March . 


4,270 


, , 




. , 


, . 


1( 


)0 




4,370 


April . . 


5,250 


100 


200 


. . 










5,550 


Mav. . • 


9,060 


7,052 


200 


1,185 


. . 








17,497 


June . . 


12,352 


3,870 


, , 


600 


1,700 








18,523 


July. . . 


10,240 


7,515 


500 


1,600 










19,855 


Aus:. .. 


6,752 


1,700 


, , 


1,350 


. , 








9,802 


Sept. . . 


7,376 


4,150 




1,500 


. . 








13,026 


Oct. . . . 


10,325 


3,400 


2,300 


, , 


2,210 




325 


18.560 


Nov. . . 


7,550 


2,425 


400 


1,125 


2,650 




. . 


14.150 


Dec... 


2,557 


9,195 


50 


600 


•• 




. 1,700 


14,102 


Total.. 


81,797 


39,423 


3,650 


8.060 


6.560 


2( 


)0 2,0J 


J5 


141.715 



Clearances during 1870 500 tons. 

" 1871 12,315 ' 

" 1872 2,195 * 

" 1873 11,445 ' 

" 1874 14,370 ' 

" 1875 49,930 ' 

" 1876 141,715 ' 

" Jan. to Oct., 1877 236,633 ' 



♦ Vide " The Indus and its Provinces," by the Author. 



204 IlfTDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

120,000 tons were shipped to England, which came chiefly 
from the Punjaub, and it only requires the completion of the 
Indus Valley Kailway to export wheat in greater abundance, 
at a cheaper rate, from this province. The quality of Indian 
wheat is much liked by millers, because of its extreme dry- 
ness.* 

Seeds. — Collectively seeds form a huge item in the com- 
merce of India — linseed, rape, gingelly, castor and other ole- 
aginous seeds are largely shipped from India to Europe. In 
utilizing these seeds, the oil is first extracted, and the refuse 
(in the form of oil cake) is then used for cattle feeding and 
artificial manures. A large quantity of rape and linseed goes 
forward to the south of France and to Italy, where the oil, 
by careful refining, is used for adulterating olive oil, and for 
preserving fish, &c. The use of oil cake in England for cat- 
tle feeding is extending. The production of meat for the 
increasing necessities of our large population cannot be over- 
taken by grazing or feeding upon farm produce, consequently 
farmers have to seek elsewhere for food for their stock, and 
oil cake has proved so far to be the best procurable, and 
when fed upon it cattle and sheep fatten quickly and give 
back valuable ingredients for enriching the soil. A trade 
once established with England in any article of food, whether 
for man or beast, must of necessity increase, and the products 
and uses of the Indian seeds are so varied and necessary to 
the wants of civilized society, that we may fairly assume that 
the trade in them will steadily continue to increase. 

Tea. — In connection with the introduction and growth of 
the various commodities which India produces, the progress 
of tea cultivation is perhaps of all the most interesting to 

* " Since the report was published, advices had also reached them from India 
that arrangements had been made with the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Railway- 
Company, by which purchasers of grain in the Punjab would be able to send it 
down to Calcutta from XJmritsur— a distance of about 1,245 miles— at the remark- 
ably low cost of about 12s. 9d. per qr."— Speech of Mr. R. W. Crawford, Chairman 
East Indian Railway, Jan. 4, 1877. 

The Dundee Advertiser, under date 8th February, 1877, states: "The following 
figures show the extraordinary rapidity with which the shipments of wheat from 
Calcutta to Great Britain have extended. It will be seen that while the clearances 
were only 500 tons in 1870, and 14,370 in 18''4, they sprang up to 49,930 tons in 1875, 
and 141,715 last year. The shipments through the Suez Canal were equal to the 
freight of forty steamers of 2,000 tons. The total quantity of m heat shipped 
from Calcutta in 1876 was equal to the entire crop grown in Scotland. The follow- 
ing are the figures: 



IN-DIA AND HEK ITElGHBORS. 20S 

record. As recently as the year 1832 Lord William Bentinck, 
Governor-General of India, proposed active measures to in- 
troduce this most useful plant into India. Previous to this 
the cultivation had been recommended by several persons, 
by some who possessed scientific knowledge because they be- 
Heved the climate and soil of tlie hill districts were suitable 
to it, and that the culture would be a profitable one, and by 
others because they felt that the world at large ought not to 
be solely dependent upon China for this highly-valued pro- 
duct. The Chinese being then as now strangely exclusive, 
few facilities and many obstacles were put in the way of for- 
eign trade by their government, and for this reason it was 
considered to be of national importance to England that some 
better field should be provided for the supply of tea. Hence 
the directors of the East India Company sanctioned a liberal ex- 
penditure upon experiments. Seeds and plants were imported 
from China, as well as persons accustomed to the cultivation; 
but, as in all such attempts, there were many difficulties at 
first to contend with and many failures. In 1834 it was dis- 
covered that the tea plant, somewhat different to the China 
plant, but nevertheless the tea plant, was growing wild in 
Assam, and some of the leaves having been manufactured 
into tea, which was highly approved of by the London tea 
brokers, hopes were entertained that it might be produced in 
sufficient quantities to become a staple article of commerce. 
Experiments continued to be made by government with the 
indigenous plants, and with seeds and plants imported from 
China, nurseries being established in Assam, the Himalayas, 
Neilgerries, and elsewhere with more or less success. In 
1839 the first Joint Stock Tea Company was formed in Lon- 
don, " The Assam Company," with a capital of one million 
sterling, and the fortunes and reverses of this Company fur- 
nish an excellent illustration of the fluctuations experienced 
in tea culture in India. At one time their £20 shares were 
sold for less than 2s. each. Tea cultivation at that time was 
at its lowest ebb; government had abandoned the work to 
private speculators, and, owing to mismanagement, all hope 
of successfully producing tea in India was well nigh aban- 
doned. The shares thus sold at 2s. are now worth £64, and 
the Assam Tea Company, once so near rnin, is at present a 
most prosperous undertaking. Tea agriculture and manu- 
facture may now be deemed to be well-established industries 
of India. At the present time there are numerous joint- 



206 Il^BIA AND HEE KEIGHBOES. 

stock tea undertakings, and still more gardens in private 
hands, and the importation into England in 1875 amounted 
to no less than 25,000,000 lbs., equal in value to £2,200,000: 
but this does not represent the whole; for India with her 
large population is herself a consumer of the leaf. Year by 
year the growth is extending, more care and experience are 
introduced into the cultivation and manufacture, and the 
problems which exercised the minds of the far-seeing govern- 
or-general and others forty years ago, are now happily 
solved. It is estimated .there are 160,000 acres of land now 
under tea cultivation, which within a few years should yield 
50,000,000 pounds weight per annum.* 

Sugar. — At one time this was a commodity very largely 
exported, as much as 350,000 tons having been shipped an- 
nually, but noAV, although the quantity produced is greater 
than ever, India imports more than she exports. This fact 
is worthy of notice, as indicating the increased wealth and 
prosperity of the people. 

Opium.— yLwch has been said and written respecting the 
growth of this drug, and the immorality of the Government 
of India in directly encouraging and supervising a trade in 
many respects so injurious. It is not our intention here to 
enter upon the merits or demerits of this vexed question, it 
is sufficient for our purpose to note the fact of its existence, 
and state that if the revenue of upwards of six millions ster- 

* Tea of China and of India.— Sir "W. H. Medhurst, in his last Consular Report 
from Shanghai, recently laid before Parliament, states that the tea trade of that 
port showed again in 1875 a marked decline. The competition of India increases. 
Fifteen years ago the growth of tea in India was regarded as an experiment, but 
the export from Calcutta reached 25,000,000 pounds in 1875, and now it may 
almost be thought that unless there be some change in the mode of cultivation 
or packing, it is only a question of time when China will be ousted from the 
field. The total export of tea from China was 212,000,000 pounds in the sea- 
son 1875-76, or 4,000,000 less than in the preceding season. The increase in the de- 
mand for tea in Great Britain has heretofore benefited both China and India, 
but the returns for 1875 indicate that the whole increase then went to the credit 
of India. The cause of the poor quality of Chinese tea of late years seems to he 
in hasty preparation, with a view to bring teas early to market, and in the unsys- 
tematic way in which the different processes necessary to convert the raw leaf 
into the tea of commerce are carried on. Small proprietors, farmers, to whom 
the cultivation of tea is mostly a secondary object, growing fron) fifty pounds to 
five hundred pounds, carry it off on their backs to a neighboring -market, and 
even to a second, perhaps, the unfired leaf spoiling fast by exposure to the air 
and the long interval between the picking and the firing. The packers are spec- 
ulators, who hire a house in the district temporarily, and collect the leaf in little 



IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 207 

ling which the opium monopoly yields to the government 
were given up, other taxes would have to he levied, to make 
good the deficiency. The effect of this tax is to make opium 
so much more costly, and consequently to diminish the con- 
sumption, and it is hard to see any reasonable grounds for 
abandoning so valuable a source of income and shifting a 
burden from the shoulders of the Chinese, who buy this 
baneful drug, to the backs of our poor Indian subjects. In 
the provinces of Behar and Benares government supervises 
the growth of the poppy and manufacture of the opium, 
binding the ryots to sow yearly the needful amount of land, 
and receiving the entire produce at certain fixed prices. The 
opium is gathered in the early spring, manufactured and 
stored in the summer at Patna and Ghazepore, and sold by 
public auction in the following year at Calcutta to merchants 
who ship it to China. In Malwa, on the other hand, the 



lots from the growers. Thus, the leaf from different districts is mixed, and pure, 
one-flavored tea is scarce. The packing also is defective; if wood is scarce, it is 
planed so thin that a cwt. chest is little better than a band-box, and the outside 
package splits and the inside bed gets rent and torn. Sir W. H. Medhurst saj^s 
that we must look to India for the perfection of tea culture; there planting, 
picking and firing are all in one hand, and the needful capital outlay to produce 
a good result is not spared. In China the process is in the primitive and un- 
scientific style dear to the natives of that country. He considers that nothing 
but the introduction of European capital and enterprise into the tea districts can 
save the foreign tea trade of China from decay. Had foreigners free access to the 
country, not only would the leaf be systematically packed, and not left at times 
to grow old on the shrubs and at times to spoil after picking, while the owner is 
haggling for the last cent, but many a barren hillside would be cleared of its 
jungle, and employment given to thousands of half -starved peasants. Isolated 
attempts made by foreigners to perfect the system of packing tea by personal 
supervision in the interior have been generally unsuccessful, except in the case 
of brick tea made in some of the black tea districts, under the eye of Russians 
from Siberia, who show more readiness in adapting themselves to Chinese way;?, 
and whose government gives them every protection. Were permission given to 
foreigners to hold land in the interior, a few well-ordered plantations would in 
time reform the Chinese methods by example. In regard to green tea China is 
being ousted from the American markets by Japan, where no labor is spared in 
the firing and packing, and the petty economies are not attempted which a China- 
man will employ at any cost. His inland taxation also is heavy. In India the 
trade is free, and in Japan burdened only with a nominal tax. The Chinaman is 
not keeping his place in the race. Our Custom House returns for 1876 show 1.55,- 
897.193 pounds of tea imported into the United Kingdom from China, but that is 
5,000.000 pounds less than in the preceding year; the import from British India, 
28,126,854 pounds, show an increase amounting to 2,342,000 pounds.— Time*, May 
21, 1877. 



208 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

opium is produced by the subjects of native princes and for- 
warded to Bombay for shipment, where it pays a heavy export 
(duty. The general adoption of this latter system is advo- 
cated by many who would wish to see the Government of 
India freed from all immediate connection with the opium 
tjade, and we must confess our preference for it; but the 
Bengal system has prevailed so long that Indian financiers 
hesitate to interfere, lest the revenue should be adversely af- 
fected. 

Coffee. — Like tea the growth of Indian coffee is compara- 
tively recent, and the progress has been very satisfactory. 
The value of the exports has increased from £75,000 in 1849 
to £1,250,000 in 1874; and upwards of 100,000 acres are now 
planted with coffee iu Ooorg and the Wynaad alone, besides 
large tracts in Travancore. 

The cultivation of tea, coffee and indigo in India has been 
taken up by some of our retired officers, and provides occu- 
pation for a great many young men, who go out from Eng- 
land to superintend the plantations and manufacture.* On 
some of the plantations a few of the more enterprising agri- 
culturists produce other valuable plants, such as Indifi rubber, 
Tobacco, Chincona, &c., which are sent forward to Calcutta, 
Bombay and Madras, for shipment to Europe. 

Indigo. — Is chiefly cultivated in Behar and the N. W. 
Provinces and is exported to all parts of the world. The 
trade in this beautiful dye has grown in the last ten years 
from two to three and a half millions sterling. 

Saltpetre. — The soil of Upper India teems with ^S'illainous 
saltpetre," which modern nations find so iti dispensable, either 
for peace or war. This article, which the Indian husband- 
man would so gladly miss from his fields, is collected and ex- 
ported to Europe, America and China to the value of about 
half a million sterling per annum. 

Timber. — The forests of British Burmah yield rich stores 
of teak, that most valuable timber, which is now extensively 
used in this country. Nearly as hard and endurable as oak, 
it is easier to work and it can be polished as highly as ma- 
hogany; in ship building and railway carriages it is especially 
serviceable, and for beauty and solidity combined no wood 
surpasses it. The teak ships built in Bombay, Cochin and 
Singapore were found after fifty years of hard work to be as 

* In the beautiful valley of Kangra, in the Himalayas, there are more than thirty 
Europeans solely engaged in tea planting. 



IlsTDIA Jl^B her KEIGHBORS. 209 

tough and seaworthy as when new; and but for the changes 
that have taken place in naval architecture, whereby a modern 
iron ship is capable of carrying a much heavier cargo than 
the old-fashioned vessels the pride of our youth, these good 
old craft would still be ploughing the waters. 

Other woods, such as the Himalaya pines and deodars, 
serve many purposes of use and ornament. The Sal forests 
of the Himalayas provide sleepers for our railways. The light 
and feathery bamboo, growing everywhere in India, must not 
be overlooked. This invaluable wood, always available, is 
put to every conceivable purpose; it provides the supports for 
the rude huts in the jungle; tipped with iron it may be used 
for an instrument of war or implement of husbandry; sawn 
off above a knot it makes a drinking cup; it is used for 
making pens, and for musical instruments; it forms the arms 
for the palanquins to carry the living, or the bier to bear the 
dead to the funeral pile. In Japan young bamboo stewed or 
preserved is esteemed a great luxury. In China and Persia 
old bamboo is in more frequent request, but the application 
is external and of a less agreeable character; it is usually ap- 
plied to the back or to the soles of the feet. The fibre is 
worked up into mats and baskets and boats' sails. The Sissa, 
or black wood of Bombay, the sandal wood of Southern India, 
and ebony of the West, are known to us all in the exquisite 
carved pieces of furniture, inlaid boxes and ornaments which 
so admirably exhibit the artistic taste of the workman and the 
beauty of the material. 

Within the last sixteen years the Government of India has 
very properly undertaken the conservancy of the forests; on 
the one hand, the department has to take care that timber is 
felled and disposed of upon prudent and safe principles, and 
that there is no needless waste of the valuable tracts of for- 
est at the disposal of government; on the other hand, the 
cultivation of the more valuable timber needed for the con- 
struction of public works, railway sleepers, and for commerce, 
has to be attended to. The young men selected in England 
for this work have to undergo a special education, and are 
sent to Germany and other countries to study other forest 
conservancy, systems before taking up their duties in India. 
The practical value of this good service cannot be over-esti- 
mated, when we bear in mind not only the value of the tim- 
ber, but the disasters that have overtaken Eastern countries, 
where fertile districts have been rendered barren deserts by 



210 



INDIA A2^D HEB NEIGHBOBS. 



the reckless destruction of the forests. Through the influ- 
ence of cultivation rains are now periodical in parts of Scinde, 
where they were formerly as rare .as at Aden, that barren 
rock garrisoned by our Indian troops. By clothing the bare 
hillsides with wood, and by judicious planting, not only may 
rains be rendered more regular and genial, thus lessening the 
chances of frequent drought and famine, so fearfully de- 
structive to human and animal life in India, but something 
may be done to limit, if not prevent, those terrible floods, 
which carry everything before them whilst they last; climates 
also may be changed, and unhealthy districts rendered more 
salubrious. Before leaving this subject we must mention the 
valuable service rendered to India by the introduction of the 
Chincona and ipecacuanha plants. The important medicinal 
properties of quinine produced from the Chincona bark are 
well known to all, but the boon to India is especially great; 
with the aid of this powerful restorative travelers ward off 
attacks of jungle and malarious fever; and many have shown, 
like the great African traveler Livingstone, how with its aid 
they have been able to prosecute their journeys and their work, 
when without it they must have succumed to disease. Ipe- 
cacuanha is now accepted as the most eflficacious remedy in 
the treatment of dysentery, the malady of all others most de- 
structive to European life in India. Chincona was intro- 
duced into India in the year 1860, and Mr. Clement Mark- 
ham, C. B., the courteous and well-known secretary of the 
Geographical Society, superintended the transport of the 
plants from South America to the IS; eilgerries, where, b^ care, 
they have been successfully grown; and the Indian cultiva- 
tion is so far secured that there is no longer any anxiety as to 
the supply of this invaluable bark. The ipecacuanha root, 
more recently introduced, has been planted on the outer 
slopes of the Sikhini Himalaya, and there is every reason to 
hope for equal success with it. 

Tobacco — Is widely cultivated for home use in many parts 
of India, but as yet the quantity imported into Europe has 
been very limited, owing to defects which are still to be 
remedied in the process of preparing the leaf. 

Agriculture. — As before stated, India is essentially an 
agricultural country, and the mass of the population support 
themselves by husbandry, but in the tillage of the soil the 
ryots, or peasantry, follow the rude and inefficient methods 
of their forefathers, merely scratching the surface of the 



IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 211 

ground by means of a bullock-plongh of the most feeble and 
primitive construction, using littlQ manure or other means to 
aid the dormant resources of the soil, and in the absence of 
irrigation, trusting the coming harvest solely to the sun and 
rain of heaven. The ryots' mode of rearing live stock is 
equally antiquated. 

General and scientific farming, as practised in Europe, 
America, and Australia, has never been really tried in India. 

The European planters of India, unlike the native ryots, 
are an enterprising and prosperous class, and the increasing 
demands for the products before enumerated when treating 
of the commerce of India, necessitate the use of machinery 
and ever-improving modes of cultivation. ^Native farmers, 
like their brethren elsewhere, are slow to adopt changes, and 
do not readily take either to improved implements or a more 
scientific mode of working. Animal food is so little consumed 
by the natives of India, that the profits of raising agricultural 
stock are not sufiiciently high to encourage expenditure in 
the direction of rearing improved breeds of sheep and cattle. 
Efforts to improve the quality of cattle and horses and to in- 
troduce foreign seeds and plants have from time to time 
emanated from the government, and experimental farms have 
been worked in the presidencies of Bengal, Madras and Bom- 
bay which have been of service in the selected localities and 
have helped to furnish statistics; but the experiments have 
involved considerable outlay and have led to little practical 
result generally. Recently agricultural exhibitions have been 
organized with some success in various parts of India, and 
the competition created for the prizes appear to be producing 
a beneficial effect. It is very interesting to note in the last 
report of the " Material Progress of India," that in British 
Burmah the ploughs in use numbered 383,976. Steam ma- 
chinery is little used and probably not needed, because not 
only is manual labor abundant and cheap, but the regularity 
of the seasons relieves the farmer from the anxiety and haste 
which attend the harvesting of crops in our more uncertain 
climate. 

In agricultural operations in India irrigation forms one of 
the most necessary and costly items of expenditure, and in 
every province the peasants patiently draw from wells and 
streams the life-sustaining water which, under the powerful 
rays of the tropical sun, produces rapid vegetation. 

The sad effects of drought have more than once lately been 



312 IKDiA AKD HER N-ElGilBORg. 

painfully illustrated. The native rulers have an adage that 
" to attempt to relieve a famine is to water the branches when 
the roots are dead;" tlianks, however, to roads, railways, and 
steamers, it has been proved that relief can be given. Still, 
such calamities as the Orissa and Bengal famines, and that 
subsequently prevailing in Madras and Bombay, are terrible 
to contemplate, and to prevent rather than to cure them, the 
rigorous prosecution of irrigation works should always be 
kept prominently in view with improved means of communi- 
cation. 



INDIA AI^D HER KEIGHBOBS. S13 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

INTERN^AL COMMUNICATIONS. 
Koads — Railways — Telegraphs. 

Communications. — Under this head a volume might be 
written. The communications, external and internal, com- 
prise lines of ships and steamers, telegraphs, railways, roads, 
canals, etc., etc., representing many millions of money and 
employing thousands of persons. Like the Romans of old, 
the British may now fairly be said to make road-making the 
first of their duties, and throughout the provinces of India 
this necessary work is diligently prosecuted. In the neigh- 
borhood of large towns the responsibility of providing good 
roads devolves upon the municipalities, etc. ; in the provinces 
the means are provided by the presidency funds apportioned 
to such local works. For information concerning the postal 
and telegraphic services and railways, the reader interested in 
such matters should peruse the government reports, which 
furnish precise and valuable details, and alone can properly 
explain the gigantic character of the work which is embraced 
under these three heads. The postage of a letter from and 
to any place ni India is half an anna, equal to three farthings, 
and, except England, no country in the w^orld possesses a 
more efficient postal service. 

Telegraphs. — In telegraphy, India is little, if anything, 
behind Europe. From^Euro'pe to India there exist the deep 
sea cable through the Red Sea, and two distinct land com- 
munications through Turke}^, Russia, and Persia; these are 
connected with a sub-marine cable by the Persian Gulf to 
Kurrachee. It also possesses telegraphic communication 
with China and Australia, and an efficient internal service is 
maintained with the principal military and commercial .cen- 
tres. Had these complete services been in ekistence in 1857, 
on the outbreak of the Mutiny, many valuable lives might 
have been spared, and it is apparent that our tenure of India 



214 'i:bfDIA AN"I) HEE KEIGHBOKS. 

is greatly strengthened by the facilities now existing. The 
wide extent of territory spanned by the wires necessarily ren- 
ders the services costly to organize and maintain; and not 
only i's the material liable to damage by storms, floods, and 
robbery, but the distance from observation gives facilities for 
dishonest tampering. A curious instance of this occurred 
some time ago: some telegraph clerks, at the instigation of a 
wealthy native, dealing largely in opium, proceeded to a soli- 
tary spot, where they cut the wires, read off all the messages, 
and transmitted them to Bombay with such alterations as 
enabled their employer to reap the unfair advantage which he 
sought. 

Railivays. — In railway communication a good commence- 
ment has been made, but much remains still to be done in 
this respect. At present there are five or six great trunk 
lines intersecting the country; the East India Railway ex- 
tending from Calcutta for 1,000 miles along the valley of the 
Ganges and Jrmna to DeJlii, to meet the Indus Valley line 
from Kurrachee, and thus to form the great steam arch con- 
necting the Bay of Bengal with the Arabian Sea, and which 
at Allahabad throws out a branch to Jtibbulpore to meet the 
Great Indian Peninsular Eailvvay, placing Calcutta and Bom- 
bay in immediate connection; the Bombay and Baroda Rail- 
way running from Bombay almost in a direct northerly line 
to Surat, Baroda, and Ahmedabad, and tapping the cotton 
districts; the Scinde, Punjaub, and Delhi Railway, commenc- 
ing from Kurrachee and proceeding via Lahore to Delhi, 
which, with its proposed branches to the Bolan and Kyber, 
will be the great political line of India, by providing the 
means of transport of troops and material for the defence of 
the frontier, and enable us to meet Russia in the markets of 
Central Asia on more than equal terms, and which, at the 
same time, will open up the great grain-producing districts 
of the Punjaub; the Oude and Rohilkund; the Southern of 
India; the Madras and minor lines; altogether, in 1877, 
there were 8,142 miles open, of which 1,729 miles are of the 
metre 3ft. 3 3-8in. guage, the remainder being on the normal 
guage of 5ft. Gin. 

That there should be two gauges in India is much to be 
regretted, as a branch might speedily become a trunk line. 
The principal portions of these lines have been constructed 
and are being worked by companies and boards of directors 
under government supervision. A few have been made by 



INDIA A2TD HEB K"EIGHBOES. 215 

gOTernment officers, and the question of the future, regarding 
Indian railways is, whether they should pass wholly into the 
possession of the State, and be worked from one central point, 
or whether the several companies should maintain their dis- 
tinctive commercial character and be managed as at present. 
Those in favor of the former system, with some show of 
reason, maintain that, as theaigovernment guaranteed interest 
is what the shareholders chiefly look to for the return on their 
capital, there can be no objection to the lines being entirely 
under the control of the State. But, on the other hand, it is 
clear that our English railways could never have arrived at 
their present efficient and profitable condition, nor could they 
meet the ever-varying wants of the public, were it not for the 
character of the management and its freedom from the hard 
and fast regulations of the public services. The capital of 
the railway companies of the IJnited Kingdom in 1876 reached 
the sum of £658,000,000, and the yield of the gross revenue 
from this immense investment was £62,000,000, the net reve- 
nue being £29,000,000. These figures will give some idea of 
the cost of providing railways for our great Indian dependency, 
and it is not too much to say that no single department of 
government can possibly do justice to these gigantic works, 
and that the best that can be done is to continue, and perhaps 
strengthen, the present system of supervision. 

Further, the progress of this necessary and national work 
ought not to be left to the mere question of a surplus or de- 
ficiency in the budget. In India we possess a magnificent 
estate, needing capital for its development — and we have a 
tolerably sure guarantee that money advanced wiP be honestly 
expended; but instead of advancing money for railways, canals, 
roads, &c., in India, for bringing produce from the interior 
to the coast, we lend millions to foreign countries to be squan- 
dered, or perhaps to be spent in arms and war vessels to be 
used against ourselves. One word more before leaving the 
question of railways. It is proposed in some places to make 
lines parallel with the coast. In the present condition of the 
country, it appears questionable policy to use State funds for 
the construction of lines of railway, which would compete 
with and tend to cripple the sea traffic now maintained by 
private enterprise. It would be much better to encourage 
the development of that traffic by improving the existing 
harbors and constructing new ones where they may be most 
required, at a reasonable outlay, and confining the extension 



216 INDIA AND HEK NEIGHBORS. 

of railways and roads to lines into the interior for the free 
exchange of commodities. 

All must concur in the opinion recently expressed by Lord 
Salisbury, and that is, "that the best and surest means of 
developing the resources of a colony is to improve the means 
of communication." 

It is expected that in 1879 the net revenue of the guaran- 
teed railways will be equal to th^amount of interest guaran- 
teed by the State. 



IlffDIA AKD HER ]S"EIGHBOES. 217 



CHAPTEK.J^XXV. 

EXTEEN'AL COMMUKICATIOKS. 

Ancient Routes of Commerce— Shipping — The Suez Canal— The Eu- 
phrates Railway — Harbors. 

Few facts bear more conclusive testimony to the sagacity 
of the ancients, when the limited amount of their geograph- 
ical knowledge is remembered, than the tenacity with which 
commerce adhered to the direction given to it by them, and 
the readiness with which it returns to any of those channels 
when temporarily diverted by political events or geographical 
discoveries. The overland route from Europe to India, by 
the Isthmus of Suez and the Eed Sea, is certainly as old as 
the days of the early Phoenician navigators. The navigability 
of the Euphrates was tested long before Trajan ever sailed on 
its waters^ and was revisited by the Italians in the eleventh 
century, and our own merchants in the days of Elizabeth, as 
the best way to the East; * whilst the value of the Indus, as 
the shortest and easiest route for the commerce of India, not 

* "Various causes concurred in restoring liberty and independence to the cities 
of Italy. The acquisition of these roused industry and gave motion and vigor to 
all the active powers of the human mind. Foreign commerce revived, navigation 
was attended to and improved. Constantinople became the chief mart to ivJtieh 
the Italians resorted. There they not only met with favorable reception, but; ob- 
tained such mercantile privileges as enabled them to carry on trade with great 
advantages. They were supplied both with the precious commodities of the East, 
and with many curious manufactures, the product of ancient arts and ingenuity 
still subsisting among the Greeks. As the labor and expense of conveying the 
productions of India to Constantinople, by that long and indirect course ^rhich T 
have described (the route by the Indus, the Oxus, the Caspian, and the Volga) 
rendered them extremely rare, and of an exorbitant price, the industry of the 
Italians discovered other methods of procuring them in greater abundance, and at 
an easier rate. They sometimes purchased them at Aleppo, Tripoli, and other 
ports on the coast of Syria, to which they were drotight 'by a route not iinhnown to 
the ancients. They were conveyed from India by sea to the Persian Gulf, and, 
ascending the Euphrates and Tigris as far as Bagdad, were carried by land across 
the desert of Palmyra, and from thence to the towns on the Mediterranean. 'V 
Robertson's "America, "quoting from Ramusio. 



218 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

only with Central Asia and the north of Europe, but with the 
whole of the West, was fully recognized by the later Romans 
in the seventh century. Necessity, in their case, was the 
mother of invention. When the rapid progress of the 
MoLamedan arms had wrested Egypt from the Byzantine 
power, and thus closed the overland route of Suez to the 
Greek merchants, they forthwith turned to other means and 
sought out a new channel, by which the productions of the 
East might be transmitted to the great emporium of the 
West. The route thus discovered was that by the Indus. 
The rich and easily-stowed products of India were carried up 
the great river as far as it was navigable; thence transported 
to the Oxus, down which stream they proceeded as far as the 
Caspian Sea. There they entered the Volga, and sailing up 
it, were carried by land to the Tanais (the Don), which con- 
ducted them into the Euxine Sea, where ships from Constan- 
tinople waited their arrival. The discovery of the long, but 
easy route, by the Ca]3e of Good Hope, combined w^ith the 
deadly feuds between the Christians of the West, and the 
Mahomedan nations that held the countries of the Nile and 
the Euphrates, for a time diverted the stream of commerce 
with Central Asia and Northern Europe, by way of the 
Indus, and the two great gates of India, the Khyber and 
Bolan Passes, is a pregnant proof of the tenacity with which 
trade adheres to its channels, and of the sagacity which 
originally selected that direction for the produce of the East. 
However great may have been the changes of masters and 
manners in the territories between the Indus and the Bos- 
phorus, a portion of the tide of commerce has flowed, and 
does still flow, as it did in the seventh century. * 

With respect to its shipping, India has experienced great 
changes since the pioneer expeditions of the old East India 
Company in the seventeenth century. At that time, it would 
appear, the carrying trade by sea, with the exception of the 
very few British, French, Portuguese, and Dutch vessels 
trading with Europe, was in the hands of the Arabs, who 
have ever shown themselves bold and skilful seamen. These 
were superseded by the fine old ships of the East India Com- 
pany, half frigate and half merchantmen, and some still living 
relate with pride how the perils of the voyage to India in their 
vessels were often enhanced by successful encounters with 
hostile men-of-war and with pirates. 

* "The Indus and its Provinces," by the Writer. 



IKBIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 219 

It is, however, during the last fifty years that the greatest 
changes haye taken place. . The rapid growth of the Indian 
trade about half a century ago necessitated an extension of 
the marine, and private shipowners, one by one, then entered 
the field, and continued sending their ships in increasing 
numbers to the ports of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay. 

In 1834, through the energy and heroic perseverance of 
Eichard Waghorn, the route through Egypt, better known as 
the Overland Eoute, was adopted for the carriage of letters, 
thereby shortening the passage to India by at least half the 
time occupied by a Cape voyage. This mail service by the 
Isthmus was conducted between Suez and India by steam ves- 
sels of the Indian Navy until the year 1840, when the Penin- 
sular and Oriental Steam Company contracted with the Gov- 
ernment of India to carry it on; and from that time until 
1869, when M. Lesseps' great work of cutting through the 
Isthmus w^as completed, this Company, with the Messageries 
Mari times, enjoyed a virtual monopoly of the most valuable 
part of the Indian trade. Immediately, however, upon the 
Suez Canal becoming Q,fait accompli, the enterprise of British 
shipowners was brought into full play, and large and power- 
ful steamers were constructed for the new route. Steam ves- 
sels now run regularly from London, Liverpool, Glasgow, 
Hull, and Southampton to Kurrachee, Bombay, Madras, and 
Calcutta; while the number of sailing vessels by the Cape does 
not diminish. Eound the coast of India and Ceylon to Bur- 
mah, the Straits Settlements, China, Australia, Java, in the 
Persian Gulf and Eed Sea, and on the East C oast of Africa 
there are lines of steamers under the British flag trading reg- 
ularly from the principal ports of India. The officers and 
engineers of these ships are British — the crews chiefly natives 
of India. As recently as 1857, on the outbreak of the Sepoy 
War, the Government of India were in extremity for steamers 
to bring troops from Mauritius, Ceylon, and China, to the 
assistance of their hard-pressed and greatly outnumbered 
forces. At the present time, it would be easy for that gov- 
ernment to have promptly available, chiefly by means of the 
Suez Canal, 80,000 to 100,000 tons of steam shipj^ing for such 
a purpose. An additional security for the safety of the em- 
pire is thus afforded, the value of which it would be difficult 
to estimate. 

But, in congratulating the nation upon this great addi- 
tional security, it must not be overlooked that it is dependent 



220 INDIA AKD HER KEiaHBORS. 

upon access to the Suez Canal being always available. Sbould 
that route be closed, which miglit easily occur by accident or 
design, * or by A complication of events in Europe, our 
extensive steam fleet v^^ould be rendered useless, either for 
purposes of trade or for transports, f and as the commerce of 
India extends, so that country becomes more identified with 
the interests of Great Britain. The necessity for the alter- 
native route by the Euphrates Valley becomes more than ever 
apparent. Twenty years have elapsed since the largest and 
most influential deputation that ever waited upon a minister 
nrged the importance of this subject upon Lord Palmerston, 
and in 1871-1872 the Select Committe of the House of Com- 
mons, presided over by the present chancellor of the ex- 
chequer, fully confirmed the opinions then expressed,! ^^^ 
recommended the construction of the Euphrates Valley Kail- 
way connecting a port on the Mediterranean with the head 
of the Persian Gulf, to the consideration of government, 
based on the evidence of Lord Stratford de Eedcliife, Lord 
Strathnairn, Sir Bartle Frere, Sir Donald Macleod, Sir Henry 
Green, Mr. S. Laing and Sir Henry Tyler; of General Ches- 
ney, the original explorer of the route, and of two officers of 
the expedition. Admiral Charlewood, R N., and Mr. W. 
Ains worth; of Sir John Macneill, Mr. Telford Macneill and 
^Mr. Maxwell, O.E., who surveyed and reported on the most 
difficult portion of the design, and of Captain Eelix Jones, 
who surveyed the entire route, from the head of the Persian 
Gulf to the Mediterranean. If this line were in other than 
British hands, in those of Eussia, for instance, the Suez 
Canal could be turned, and the railway could be extended 
through Persia and Beloochistan to India, notwithstanding 
all the ironclads of England being in the Persian Gulf. 

In seaports and harbors of refuge India is less favored by 
nature than most other parts of the globe, but efforts have 
been, aud are being made to supply the deficiency. It is far, 

* See Appendix E, " Evidence of Select Committee of the House of Commons 
on Euphrates Railway, 1871-1873," &c. 

t On a recent occasion Sir Garnet Wolseley declared at a numerously-attended 
meeting at the Ro3^al United Service Institution, that the largest iron-clads could 
not pass by the canal, and it was evident that it would be the easiest matter in the 
world to stop the traffic on that canal. It might be done by a few barge^. by one 
good large torpedo, by a vessel laden with dynamite or powder and takeii to cer- 
tain positions in the canal well known in our Intelligence Departmeni, and where 
they would do enough damage to stop the canal for a year. Or a simpler method 
might be adopted by taking out a few heavy vessels aud scuttling them. So we 
could not depend upon the canal. 

:j: See Appendix E, Euphrates and Indus route. 



IKDIA AKD HEE NEIGHBORS. 221 

Kow^ver, from being destitute of such natural advantages. 
The harbor of Bombay is probably one of the safest and most 
picturesque in the world, and would accommodate shipping 
far in excess of the trade of the port, present and prospect- 
ive. Calcutta, approached by a noble, though somewhat 
treacherous river, is admirably situated for trade, and the 
long rows of stately Indiamen moored along the banks was a 
sight not to be surpassed elsewhere. Madras is, unfortunately, 
at present possessed of no harbor, and the loss of shipping, 
lives and property at that place has been very great; in bad 
weather ve^ls have to slip their cables and run out to sea to 
prevent stranding. Cochin possesses a good little harbor, but 
the bar is only to be crossed by vessels of small tonnage and 
light draught. Within six miles of Cochin, however, is Nar- 
rakal, where ships discharge and load in perfectly smooth 
water in the heaviest weather; this harbor is an open road- 
stead, and how it happens to have its peculiar immunity has 
never been satisfactorily explained; passengers and cargo 
landed there are conveyed by back water to stations on the 
Madras Railway. At Carwar, on the Malabar coast, and Kur- 
rachee, a port 500 jniles north of Bombay, excellent harbors 
have been constructed, easy of access and provided with ac- 
commodation for a large trade, which is finding outlets at 
these ports. 

Besides the above-named, there are the smaller ports of 
Pooree, Gopaulpore, Vizagapatam, Coconada, Masulipatam, 
ISTegapatam, Tuticorin, Colachel, Aleppy,. Calicut, Tellicherry, 
Oannanore, Mangalore, Vingorla, Eutnagherry, Surat, Gogah, 
Porebunder and Verawa, as well as the ports in British Bur- 
mah, Arracan and the Malay Peninsula. All of these places 
have of late years greatly increased their imports and exports, 
and some of them being the terminal ports for the railways, 
will doubtless be far better known in the future. 

Between the southern ports of India a.nd Ceylon there is a 
very considerable trade, which deserves a better communica- 
tion than now exists. It has been proposed that the Panm- 
baum Channel, which divides India and Ceylon, should be 
deepened, in order that large steamships to and from the east 
coast of India may be saved the extra distance of going round 
the Island of Ceylon, 



222 IKDIA AND HER 15'EIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXXVL 

PIKANCE. ^ 

Revenue — Land Tax — Opium Tax — Salt Tax, Customs, &c, — Indian 
Budget — Lord Northbrook on Famines — Depreciation of Silver. 

The revenue oi India at the present time (1878) amounts, 
in round numbers, to fifty millions sterling a year, or nearly 
double the figures of 1850, and higher by ten millions than 
the sum total of 1860. As oomjiared with the revenues of 
England or France, these fifty millions may appear a small 
sum to raise from so large a population, but- the great mass 
of the people is very poor, living from hand to mouth, in the 
most simple, frugal, and primitive manner possible, con- 
suming' little that can legitimately be taxed; and it should 
further be remembered that a foreign government cannot tax 
its subjects to nearly the same extent as a native government: 
for what in the one case is submitted to as a necessary evil, is 
in the other resented as extortion, and pointed to as an ag- 
gravation of the drawbacks of foreign rule. One such draw- 
back, of an undeniable character, in connection with the col- 
lection of revenue, is the petty tyranny w^iich corrupt native 
officials are prone to wield in the name of their foreign mas- 
ters, too few to supervise personally what is going on and 
keep the rapacity of subordinates in check. In trying to 
reach the wealthier classes we are liable to provide lucrative 
employment for a large number of native underlings, who 
render themselves extremely obnoxious to all classes of their 
countrymen, and bring discredit on our rule, without pro- 
ducing much benefit to the public revenue. The fiscal ar- 
rangements in connection with the now happily abolished, 
the odious and inquisitorial income tax, may be cited in illus- 
tration of this. 

The chief sources of revenue in India are the land-tax, 
opium and salt monopolies, excise, customs, and stamps. The 



INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 22S 

A „4-v>f +V,P«P vipMs two-fifths of the whole amount raised, or 
r.it afoOO 000 sterHng and is the tax best known to the 
feope of Tnia! every successive dynasty having itnpo^ed .^t 
Her Hindoo 'and iahomedan Governn.err^s he tax ,e ,ed 

on the 1-dholde^^ -P«-^^^^^^^ ^e^tofe JrovScL 

^Sflnd&eYttrLsessn.en atsta^^^^^^^^^^^ 

The contribntion to the State « ^^gS wl ereltl 'nf .^v! 
Tipt rpntal OT each esiate; out id -oe^jg^V;' * „. • -k^aq +"^0 

silllilSissi 

?res render 't a most difficult subject to- grawle with. In 
Madrasthe settlement is made yearly direct with each ryot 
?n the Northwest Provinces the settlement is fixed foi 
thirty years the revenue-officer, dealing ^l^f^^^X 
W men A similar process is pursued m the /""laBO, 
head-men. ^ A sii i^^ landholders, have to pay the 

"ovtrnmenfLS" Bombay has a thirty years' settlement 

S cC only be ^"tified 7; necessity; it presses hardly 

unonthtpoor by preventing them from using enough sa t 

to^feep th^eir hoL^holds an! their cattle -?-?-,>;-[«: 

Ar. pfForf is bein^ made to lessen the evils o± the tax »y ^^""^ 

^' CM^Iotfyield about two and a half millions, derived from 
a. number of imports and a few articles of export Except 

tlZ levied on lines and ^piri*^' ^V'^'^'^L^rth^e import 
exceed five per cent, ad valorem. Until recently the impoir 
duty on manufactured cottons and woolens was seven pei 



224 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

cent. , but on the strong representations of the Manchester 
manufacturers that they were unable to compete with the 
growing manufactures of India, Lords Salisbury and North- 
brook agreed to reduce it to five per cent. Stamps and ex- 
cise each yield a sum about equal to the customs; and the 
post-office, telegraph, forests, justice, and a few other items, 
make up the balance of India's revenues. 

The above revenue of fifty or fifty-one millions sterling is 
fairly balanced by the expenditure, of which the army absorbs 
upwards of fifteen millions, and the interest on the debt 
nearly five millions. Of late years an increasing interest has 
been shown in Indian finance, and in the discussion of the 
question we have two distinct parties, one jDredicting utter 
ruin and discomfiture from the growing expenditure, the 
other pointing to the increasing prosperity of the country 
and the elasticity of the revenue. It is not our intention to 
take part on eithei: side; each is doing a good work, and if 
the British public generally would manifest a yet deeper con- 
cern in the affairs of our great Indian Empire, we should not: 
have to complain of lukewarmness in the House of Commons: 
when Indian subjects are debated. It is to be feared, how- 
ever, that the people of England do not sufficiently realize- 
how much of their country's wealth, power and glory are de- 
rived from the possession of India, and how much of all theses 
we should lose if deprived of the government of that noble 
dependency. We have already j)ointed to the poverty of the- 
masses of the Indian population, and the peculiarities of our 
foreign rule, as powerful arguments in favor of a minimum 
taxation and restricted expenditure, and in the serious depre- 
ciation of silver, which has hung like a black cloud over In- 
dian finance for the past two years, wq have a further incen- 
tive to economy. At the same time, with our experience of 
the past, are we not justified in somewhat discounting the 
future? Although the people of India are poor, India is not 
poor in her soil and climate; with her teeming population, 
peaceful and industrious, she might be made a mine of 
wealth; and how much more judiciously might not the sur- 
plus earnings of England be spent in India than squandered 
in foreign loans! Eoads, railways and canals for opening up 
and irrigating the country would be excellent investments, 
and help the people to bear a heavier taxation. 

Our Indian Budget has hitherto been exposed to the dis- 
turbing elements of the opium tax and small wars, to which 



INDIA i:n"d her neighbors. ^25 

must now be added famines and the depreciation of silyer. 
Public opinion has fixed upon the Government of India the 
responsibility of meeting famines with relief, and in quick 
succession they have had to contend with the Orissa and Ben- 
gal famines, and, as would appear from the recent despatches, 
an enormous expenditure has been required to relieve the late 
distress in the Madras and Bombay presidencies. 

The experience derived from famines in the past proves 
that they do not extend at one time over the entire continent 
of India; but, on the contrary, a scarcity in one province is 
generally (we might almost say invariably) compensated by 
an abundant harvest in another. For instance, during the 
Orissa famine there was a large surplus of grain in Bengal 
and Burmah. During the Bengal famine upwards of 500,000 
tons of rice were contracted for by the Government of India 
from Burmah, Madras, and Saigon; and lately, in view of 
the scarcity prevailing in the Madras and Bombay presiden- 
cies, it was a matter of sincere congratulation to learn that 
the rice fields of Bengal and Burmah were blessed with an 
abundant harvest. 

That portion of the public press which most strongly in- 
sists upon the Government of India directly protecting the 
people from the scourge of famine, insists also upon the 
necessity for limiting the expenditure upon public works to 
an amount which may annually be spared from the revenue. 
Would it not, however, be more prudent to increase, rather 
than to diminish, the expenditure upon roads, railways, and 
canals? thus expediting the opening up of the country from 
the coast to the interior, and from one district to anotlier, in 
order to facilitate the operations of trade and enable it, in its 
natural course, to provide for the scarcity of one province 
from the surplus in another, instead of throwing the onus of 
this upon the government, as well as that of providing work 
at periods of need. * 

* On this subject the following extract from a speech by Lord Northbrook at the 
Society of Arts, on 16th February, 1877, is of interest, and corroborates the views 
above expressed : 

'• Lord Northbrook said that, in dealing with famines in India, the extension of 
railroads was the most effective manner of guarding against any such calamity. 
It was only the existence of railroads in India which made it possible for any gov- 
ernment to meet these famines (hear, hear). In the recent famine in Rajpootanah 
it was perfectly impossible, owing to the difficulties of transport, to have conveyed 
the food, of which there was plenty, to the famished districts, the distance be- 
tween the two places being so great. At the present time the Government of 



226 iKDiA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

Depreciation of Silver. — But how is the silver difficnlfcy to 
be surmounted? At first sight it would appear there can be 
no relief, but, in truth, the '^ silver dilemma " and the " fam- 
ine question" have practically to be met in the same way.' 
The communications which would facilitate the distribution 
of grain, would also facilitate the transport of the produce 
of India, and, whilst lessening the chances of scarcity of 
food for the , people, would tend to equalize the balance of 
trade with foreign countries. 

To interfere directly with the silver currency itself is next 
to impossible, but it does not appear there are grounds for 
much despondency. Heavy as has been the fall in the value 
of silver, it is improbable that it should all at once and per- 
manently lose its place. The demonetizing of silver by Ger- 
many, and the alleged greatly increased j^roduction of the 
American mines, have certainly produced a marked decline 
in its value, but it has already recovered eight j)er cent, from 
the lowest point. The sensitive state of the market, how- 
ever, has opened the door to speculation, and not only the 
Government of India, but all who are trading with the JEast, 
find their calculations for the present at the mercy of bullion- 
ist speculators. 

There can be no fixity of exchange between two countries, 
one of which has a gold and the other a silver standard, be- 
cause, setting aside all other considerations, it is impossible 
that parallel lines of cost should be preserved between these 
or any other two substances, and this would be the first ne- 
cessity for such fixity. With regard to a metallic currency, 
India's primary requirement is to possess that which is the 
most suitable for her internal transactions. If this be silver, 
then of necessity her international transactions must be chiefly 
settled in that metal, which, as an import, would alone yield 
a certain return. The bitter experiences of the past result- 
ing from the operations of unsound currency views, are not 
likely to be repeated in India; and we may be confident that 

India was doing its utmost to prevent a repetition of calamities that had overtaken 
some parts of the country. It would be successful, because the railroads now 
traversed the whole area of the recent famine, and enabled the country to send on 
demand food-grain to districts that required it (hear, hear). Although the cost of 
the famine in Bengal was six millions and a half sterling, the surplus ot three 
years was sufficient to produce a sum equal to the whole of the expenditure— a 
fact which showed the sound condition of Indian finances " (cheers.)— Times, 17^/4 
February, 1877. 



INDIA AKD HER N-EIGHBORS. 227 

if it is found expedient to change the standard from silver to 
gold, it will only be done in common justice to our fellow 
subjects in India by the government calling in the silver cur- 
rency and issuing a new gold currency for the same. 

But it would appear that India is still far from requiring 
such a change. That the fluctuation in the price of silver 
will continue for some time to be a source of anxiety to those 
directing the finances of India is probable, but, on the other 
hand, there are fair grounds for believing that silver will not 
permanently fall very much below its present value. The re- 
j)orted yield of the American mines is proved to have been 
greatly exaggerated; and whilst some countries are exchang- 
ing silver for gold, there are others as yet without a metal 
currency, and to these silver is becoming more acceptable. 
Africa, for instance, only now being opened up to the com- 
merce of the world, will doubtless take a portion, when the 
rich lands described by Livingstone, Burton, Grant, Speke, 
Baker, Cameron, Stanley, and other travelers, have been freed 
from the iniquitous slave-trade and brought under cultiva- 
tion. 

The high protective duty in Great Britain of eighteen 
pence per ounce (about thirty-three per cent.) upon mann- 
factured silver, has greatly diminished the use of the pure 
metal for such purposes during the past twenty-three years, 
notwithstanding the enormous growth of the wealth of the 
-country. In the present position of the silver market, the 
wisdom of retaining this exorbitant tax is very doubtful. 



"^228 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTER XXXVIL 

OUR NEIGHBORS. 
Beloochistan — Afghanistan — Persia — Turkistan — Russia. 

Having treated in previous chapters of the various prov- 
inces and principalities of vassal States owning allegiance to 
the Empress of India, and of the settlement of European 
powers, let us briefly survey the different countries which 
girdle the frontiers or affect the fortunes of her Indian em- 
pire. 

Our relations with Russia may be powerf iilly influenced by 
our relations with Oabul, and our relations with Cabul may 
modify our treatment of the intervening hill tribes on our 
northwest frontier. 

So that, whatever disturbs and excites one or other of the 
States named in the heading of this chapter, will affect or in- 
fluence the others more or less remotely. 

Beloochistmi. — To begin with Beloochistan. This country, 
spreading from the Arabian Sea to the borders of Afghan- 
istan, forms the western boundary of Scinde. It is a land of 
hills and deserts, with here and there a cultivated valley, in- 
habited by a number of pastoral tribes, who obey no govern- 
ment but that of their several chiefs. Of these the most con- 
siderable is the Khan of Khelat, who wields among his neigh- 
bors a kind of lordship as unstable as that which the earlier 
kings of France wielded over the Dukes of Burgundy and 
other powerful vassals of their day. It is difficult to say 
what the Beloochees are by race, for they vary greatly among 
themselves in ethnical traits. Semitic or Aryan, however, 
they all speak some Aryan tongue, and j)rofess some form of 
Mahomedanism. The country is said to be rich in minerals, 
especially copper and sulphur. Such trade as it boasts is car- 
ried on by caravans, or kafilas, which make their way across 
the Hala Range into Scinde, through the long, winding 



IKDIA AlTD HEB KEIGHBORS. 229 

gorges of the Bolan Pass, liable occasionally to attacks from 
the robber tribes who infest the border. The chief carriers 
of the trade are the Lohanee merchants, a pastoral race of 
Afghans, who occupy the country eastward from Ghuzni to 
the Indus.* 

It was along the sandy wastes of southern Beloochistan that 
part of Alexander's army plodded their weary way back to 
Babylon from the plains of Scinde, while Nearchus and the 
fleet proceeded by the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. 
Great, too, were the hardships which Sir John Keane's sol- 
diers had to endure in their successf al march through the 
Bolan Pass to Oandahar and Ghuzni, in 1839. In 1843 
bravely did the Belooch troops of the Ameers of Scinde fight 
against Sir 0. ISTapier at Meanee and Hydrabad. f 

Afghcmistan.—EoTth. of Beloochistan are the rugged high- 
lands of Afghanistan, the land of a pemitic race with a vary- 
ing admixture of Aryan blood, and a common devotion to 
the creed of Islam. Their language, Pushtu, belongs to the 
same xVryan stock as Sanskrit, and is nearly allied to the Bo- 
looche. The country, which is about as large as the Punjab, 

* Lohanee merchants. The following is an extract from an interesting letter 
from Sir Bartle Frere, when Commissioner in Scinde, to the author: "These men 
are the great carriers of the Afghan trade. They have their homes about Ghuzni 
where they spend the summer. Since the trade via Tatta and the Indus was exi 
tiuguished in the latter end of the last century, these people have supplied them- 
selves with sea borne goods via Calcutta. They descend the passes before they are 
blocked up by snow, between Ghuzni and the Indus, in vast caravans of eight or 
ten thousand souls— the whole tribe moving bodily— men, women, children, and 
cattle — their, goods being on camels and ponies. Arrived in the Derajat, they leave 
the aged men, womeji, and children in black felt tents, with their flocks and herds 
in the rich pastures bordering on the Indus, while the able-bodied men push across 
the Punjaub with their goods for sale, either in that province or on the banks of 
the Ganges. The leading merchants precede the main body on dromedaries, tak- 
ing with them a few samples, letters of credit, etc., etc. — make their purchases at 
Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Cawnpore, Mirzapoor, and even Calcutta, and return with 
them express — collect their families and flocks, and force their way up the passes. 
Their numbers generally enable them to compound with the tribes of the mount, 
ains for a reasonable amount of black-mail: but they have sometimes Do fight 
their way. I have heard of the wife of an eminent merchant of this tribe, whose 
husband had been detained longer than he expected at Delhi, offering the Kaffila- 
Bashee (head of the caravan) demurrage at the rate of 10,000 rupees a daj% to defer 
the upward march of the caravan, and enable her husband to rejoin, as she knew 
that if left behind he would be unable to follow them through the passes, except 
at great risk of his life and the property he might have with him."—" The Indus 
and its Provinces." 

t " Conquest of Scinde," by Sir W. I^apier. 



230 INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

Oude, and the Northweslern Provinces together, is divided 
from the Punjab by the Suleiman Hills, while the lofty Hin- 
doo Koosh, the supposed cradle of the Aryan races, sweeps 
with many spurs across its northern provinces. Far away 
towards the Amu or Oxus lies the province of Balkh, the 
ancient Bactria, once ruled and largely colonized by Alexan- 
der's Greeks. In later times Afghanistan became the prize 
of successive conquerors from Persia and Turkistan, and the 
eyrie whence successive invaders swooped down upon the 
Punjab and Hindustan. From thence in the beginning of 
the eleventh century issued the terrible Mahmud of Ghuzni, 
followed nearly 200 years later by Mahomed Ghori, founder 
of the Pathan kingdom of Delhi. At the close of the four- 
teenth century the merciless Timur passed like a bloody 
meteor from the Indus to the Ganges, and back again to 
Samarkhand. In 1526 the adventurous Baber led his hardy 
Turks and Afghans from Cabul to the field of Paneeput. 
A later victory of Paneeput, won by another warrior from 
Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah, failed to rescue from impending 
ruin the splendid dynasty of Baber Akbar and Aurungzebe. 

It was a grandson of the last named conqueror whom Sir 
John Keane's Army of the Indus set forth in 1839 to replace 
on the throne, whence he had been driven by the powerful 
Dost Mahomed. The brilliant storming of Ghuzni was fol- 
lowed by Shah Sujah's triumphant return with the help of 
British bayonets to Cabul. Dost Mahomed fell into our 
hands, and under British protection the new king reigned for 
a time in peace. But in 1841 the flames of insurrection 
burst out on all sides, and the British troops cantoned at 
Cabul found themselves helpless, forwant of a capable leader, 
to meet the growing danger with a bold front. At last, in 
the bitter January of 1842, Elphinstone and his doomed fol- 
lowers, of whom only 4,000 were fighting men, passed out 
from their surrendered post, as Sir Hugh Wheeler afterwards 
did from Cawnpore, under promises of safe retreat. Afghan 
treachery and the snows of the passes leading to Jellalabad 
soon did their worst, and one jnan only, Dr. Brydon, strug- 
gled on to the place where the gallant Sale and his '*" illus- 
trious garrison " still upheld the honor of our. flag. Of the 
rest only a few score men and women escaped the general 
massacre by becoming prisoners to Akbar Khan, the son of 
Dost Mahomed. 

A few months later, however. General Pollock was forcing 



IXDIA AXD HER iTEIGHBOHS. SBl 

Lis way throudi tlie far-famed Khyber Pass, which had so 
often baffled the efforts of larger armies led by the best gen- 
erals of Akbar and Aurangzebe. Jellalabad was relieved, 
and Pollock marched on through every hindrance to Cabnl, 
where he was joined by Nott, the heroic defender of Candahar. 
With the recovery of the prisoners, and the burning of the 
great bazar at Cabul ended the work which Pollock and Kott 
had to accomplish. On the return of the victors to Peroze- 
pore, Dost Mahomed was set free; and thenceforth for many 
years the great Barukzai chief held firm sway over the coun- 
try still ruled by his son, Shere Ali. In the second Seikh 
war a body of Afghans fought against us, and shared the de- 
feats of the Kalsa leaders, Shere and Chuttur Singh; but 
during the Mutiny, thanks to Sir John Lawrence and Sir 
Herbert Edwardes, our old enemy Dost Mahomed proved 
himself a wise and forbearing neighbor, if not a faithful 
friend. Plis son, who after some years of chequered fortune, 
fought his way into his father's throne in 1868, has hitherto 
kept the mastery over his unruly and turbulent subjects, 
•with, until lately, the countenance and occasional help in 
arms or money of the Indian Government. 

Along the rugged hills that bar Afghanistan from the Pun- 
jab dwell a number of fierce, warlike tribes, whotiecarcely owe 
a nominal- allegiance to the neighboring rulers, and prefer a 
life of fighting and plunder to the regular pursuit of trade or 
husbandry. Their quarrels with each other are varied by 
raids across the border, which have brought them one after 
the other into more or less disastrous collision with our troops. 
For many years after the conquest of the Punjab a British 
force had to go *out against one or another of these robber 
clans, burning their Tillages, carrying off their cattle, or 
clearing off old scores by well-aimed discharges of shrapnel 
and rifle-balls. Now and then a refractory tribe has been 
starved into submission by a well-planned blockade. Some- 
times, as in the Ambeyk campaign of 1863, the offending 
tribes have only been brought to terms after inflicting heavy 
losses on their assailants. ^Of late, however, the peace of the 
frontier has only been broken by smaller raids by these rest- 
less hill-men, a good many of whom have taken service among 
their kinsfolk in the regiments of our Punjab Frontier Force, 
as the Highlanders did^in Scotland when they enrolled them- 
selves in the Black Watch. 

The two border countries of Beloochistan and Afghanistan 



2d2 I25"DIA AITD HER NEIGHBORS. 

should be conciliated by us by the establishment of friendly 
commercial relations, while we should abstain from provok- 
ing their hostility by interference in their internal affairs. To 
advance beyond the mountain barrier is to abandon a strong 
position for a weak one, and convert those who might be our 
friends into treacherous and vindictive foes. 

"With a railway along the valley of the Indus from Lahore 
to Kurrachee, with branches to the Khyber Pass and the 
Bolan, and no further, with our resources close at hand w^ 
can await the advance of aggression with tranquillity, while 
we promote the prosperity and comfort of our wild and rest- 
less neighbors, subduing them through their interests, by 
affording them a ready and certain market for their horses, 
their fruit, their silk, and their wool. 

In 1857, when the writer formed part of a deputation to 
Lord Palmerston regarding steam communication to the 
northwest frontier of India via the valleys of the Euphrates 
and Indus, he pointed out the importance of a railway along 
the valley of the Indus with branches to the two great passes 
of the Khyber and the Bolan in the following words: *^The 
grand object was to connect England with the northwest 
frontier of India by steam transit through the Euphrates and 
Indus Valleys. The latter would re^-der movable to 

EITHER THE KhYBER OR THE BOLAK THE TWO GATES OF 

India, the flower of the British army cantoned in 
THE PuNJAUB and connected by the Euphrates line by means 
of steamers, the flank and rear of any force advancing through 
Persia towards India would be threatened. So that the in- 
vasion of India would by this great scheme be placed beyond 
■even speculation." * 

In order to strengthen the hands of those entrusted with 
the management of our frontier policy, the writer also twenty 
years ago advocated the union of the Punjaub and Scinde. 

^' The union of the Punjaub with the Meerut and Delhi 
territory for political and military purposes, has been so 
plainly marked out by recent events, that their political con- 
nection under one distinct government appears inevitable, 
and the fortunes of these extensive and important regions 
are inseparably connected with that of Scinde. "f 

" The two provinces (Scinde and the Punjaub) have been 

* Vide Letter to Viscount Palmerston, K. G-,, by W. P. Andrew. 1857. 
+ " The Indus and its Provinces." 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 233 

connected bv the fortunes of the great empire to which both 
beloi^g. They are provinces of tlie Indus, as Bengal and i3e- 
har are the jorovinces of the Ganges. They constitute one 
section of the empire, and are separated from every other 
part of it by rivers, mountains, the sea, or broad belts o± 
sandy desert. Their commercial niterests are inseparably 
united." Both must ultimately depend upon the traffic of 
the same railway system. 

" Both depend for their communication with the external 
world upon one and the same port. The Punjaub has no 
outlet towards the north, but an imperfect outlet towards tha> 
west, and a long, difficult, and expensive, though open, out- 
let towards the east. Would the government place Bengal, 
under one authority, and the Hooghly under the Commas- 
sioner of Pegu? Yet that is exactly what we have done with 
our north welt possessions. Our Danube has its mouth occu- 
pied, not by enemies, it is true, but by allies owing allegiance 
to a different authority. 

"Again, the physical, political, and social characteristics 
of the two countries are identically tiae same. Physically, 
the districts of Mooltan, Dhera dhazee Khan, and Khangurh 
might be districts of Scinde. The soil is the sanie, the pro- 
ducts are the same, the people are the same. Politically, both 
have the same disadvantages, and the same military necessi- 
ties. Both have a turbulent frontier to be guarded, which is 
identical in character from one eud to the other, and which 
should be arranged on one principle, and be obedient to one 
head. The vast chain of military forts which stretch along 
the Scindian and Punjabee frontiers depend upon one head. 
Both have populations whom it is necessary to disarm and 
overawe, and in both an enormous military force requires an. 
energetic central administration. The system, too, of the 
Punjaub would suit the province of Scinde better than that 
of Bombay. It is less regular, and better adapted to the 
fierce passions and uncontrolled habits of a wild Mohamme- 
dan people. The revenue settlement, too, is more in conso- 
nance with the ancient ideas of the population. 

" It (the union) would strengthen, not root up,_the system 
already successful; and on every other ground it is indispen- 
sable," The presidency of the Indus would be the first m 
political importance of "^the great divisions of British India. 
This immense territory, extending from Kurrachee to Pesha- 



234 liq-BTA AN-D HER NEIGHBORS. 

wur and Delhi, would ^cover an area 130,000 square miles,* 
and IS occupied by a population of nearly 30,000,000. 

Our most dangerous foreign relations, with Central Asia 
and with the Beloochees and with the innumerable warrior 
chieftains of the highlands, must be conducted at Lahore. 
Whoever may be the final authority, every word of the lieu- 
tenant-governor reverberates among the hills, every blunder 
is bitterly resented m Cabul. f 

In these border lands to have a rival in prestige and power 
would be dangerous — to have a superior would be impossible 
— and every act in the great drama of the Eusso-Turkish war, 
as affecting the fortunes of the Sooltan of Eoom and the white 
Czar, will be minutely canvassed and well remembered in 
Central Asia, as well as in the bazars along the length and 
breadth of India. 

Persia. — On the west of these two border countries, 
stretches the Kingdom of Persia, or Iran, still largely peo- 
pled by the same old Aryan race which once sent forth a 
Darius and a Xerxes on bootless errands against the Greeks of 
Marathon and Salamis, and afterwards fought in vain under 
another Darius against Alexander's sturdy Macedonians. Be- 
tween that monarch's fall and the victories achieved by 0th- 
man^s Arabs, successive dynasties, Greek or Persian, ruled 
the land of Cyrus the Great, and carried on a frequent strug- 
gle with the Byzantine emperors. 

As related»in a previous chapter, the Parsees, descendants 
of the old Persian fire-worshippers, left their native land in 
the early days of Mahomedan conquest to find shelter from 
persecution, first in Gujerat, and afterwards in Bombay. 
Though few in number, they are at once among the wealth- 
iest, most enlightened, and most energetic citizens of the 
western capital. 

The official designation of the sovereign is Shah-in-Shah, 
or King of Kings. He holds in his hand the lives and prop- 
erty of his subjects, but, unlike the Sultan of Turkey, has 
no spiritual supremacy. J 

One of the greatest kings of modern Persia was Shah Ab- 
bas, a contemporary of Akbar and our own Elizabeth. In 

♦ Great Britain covers 53,300 square miles. 

+ " The Friend of India," and " The Indus and its Provinces." 

X The Sultan is the Caliph or spiritual head of the Soonees, who adhere to the 

successors of Mahomet Aboobukhr, Omar, and Osman. while the Sheahs are the 

followers of Ali, the son-in-Jaw of Mahomet and his sons, Hoossein and Hassan, 

whose memories they revere, and annually lament their death by public mourning. 



IKDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 235 

the early years of tliis century the first JSTapoleou sent a mis- 
sion to Tehran, which was received with extraordinary dis- 
tinction, in order to further his designs on India, and for 
several years French influence was all powerful at the court 
of the Shah. 

Before anything was accomplished to the detriment of Eng- 
land, her great and implacable enemy was removed from the 
arena in which he had enacted so great a part, and Persia fell 
again into the coils of a more sinister and abiding influence. 

Eussia from the time of Peter the Gr^at sought under one 
specious pretext or another to despoil Persia of whole prov- 
inces, having recourse to violence when other means failed. 
This state of things continued until about the middle of the 
eighteenth century, when the ferocious but mighty conqueror, 
Nadia Shah, compelled the Muscovite and the Turk to re- 
store the territory they had wrested from the ancient domin- 
ions of the Shah. 

On the death of Nadir Eussian designs were renewed. 
Eussia interfered to settle the claims of rival princes of Geor- 
gia, which owned allegiance to the Persian crown, and settled 
the matter by absorbing the province in the mighty spunge 
of Eussian ambition. 

War was declared, and Persia was defeated, and more ter- 
ritory was annexed by her powerful and relentless foe, until 
at last, fearful that the Colossus of the North would seize in 
his iron hand the entire kingdom of Persia, the British in- 
terfered diplomatically, and obtained a respite for the en- 
feebled and hard-pressed king, who agreed to give up more 
territory, and to have no armed vessels on the Caspian. 

Eegarding the insidious movements of Eussia towards the 
East, Sir Justin Shell, late British Envoy at the Court of 
Tehran, made some years ago the following pregnant and 
suggestive remarks: 

" The Caspian Sea washes the coasts of the Persian prov- 
inces of Talish, Geelan, Mazenderan, Asterabad, and Per- 
sian Toorkomania. The inhabitants of these spacious terri- 
tories carry on an extensive commerce, in part with the 
Persian ports on that sea, in part with the Eussian districts 
on its northern and western shores. With a far-seeing 
policy, which anticipates all the 'possibilities of futurity, 
when Persia was gasping almost in the last throes, Eussia 
humbled her to the dust, by -forcing on her the renewal of a 
stipulation contracted at the treaty of Goolistan, by which 



236 II^^DIA AND HE~l IN'EIGHBOKS. 

she bound herself not to maintain any vessel of war in the 
Caspian Sea. Upwards of a hundred years ago, an English- 
man named Elton, a man of wonderful ability and resource^ 
who had b6en brought up to a seafaring life, and who had 
previously been an officer in the Russian navy, was in the 
service of the Shah (Nadir), and not only commanded his 
naval forces in the Caspian Sea, but built ships for him on 
European models. The most unnautical nation in the world, 
with an Englishman as their leader, became dominant on the 
Caspian; and, as the author of the ^ Progress of Russia in the 
East' says, ^forced the Russians to lower their flag,' 
and the banner with the open hand* floated triumphantly 
through the length and breadth of the Caspian. To preclude 
a revival of this discomfiture, Persia was forced to sign her 
degradation, and the Caspian became a Russian lake. 

"Not a boat is allowed to move without a passport, under 
heavy penalties, and even Persian boats are under the same 
restriction; this, too, on the coast of their own sea!" 

In the early part of this century the British envoy con- 
cluded a treaty with the Shah of Persia, which brought Per- 
sia and ludia for the first time into close political relations, 
with the view of thwarting the ambitious designs of Buona- 
parte against our Eastern possessions. Some years after- 
wards an embassy from England reached Ispahan, and since 
then English influence has been always brought to bear on 
Persian politics. In 1839 Lord Auckland's forward move- 
ments in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan compelled the 
Shah to recall his troops from the siege of Herat, so gallantly 
defended by the young Englishman, Eldred Pottinger. An- 
other attempt in the same direction in 1856 had to be checked 
by force of arms, and Sir James Outram's brief but success- 
ful campaign along the Persian Gulf ended in a peace which 
has never since been broken. Rumor gave Russia the credit 
of suggesting these moves, but which were promptly disa- 
vowed. 

The revenue of Persia is less than £2,000,000, and as there 
is generally a surplus, it is paid to the private treasury of the 
Shah, who is supposed to be enormously rich, while his people 
are miserably poor and diminishing in number from misgov- 
ernment. The area of the country is above 600,000 square 

* " The banner of Persia is surmounted by an open hand, of which the fiv» 
fingers are said to express Mahommed, Aii, Fatma, Hassan, and Hoosein," 



IKBIA llTD HEE KETGHBOES. S37 

miles, with a population of 4,000,000, or about seven to the 
square mile. 

The present Shah, Nasr-ud-din, visited Europe in 1874, 
taking England on his way from Berlin to Paris. To judge 
from his diary, which was afterwards published, he was par- 
ticularly struck with the populousness, the general well- 
doing, the busy traffic, and the vast resources of this fortu- 
nate country. Tehran, his present capital, is in telegraphic 
communication with Bombay, London, and St. Petersburg, 
and he is said to be anxious to introduce railways and other 
modern improvements into his dominions. 

It is to be hoped the Shah may be allowed to cultivate the 
arts of peace, and that he may not have to play the part of 
Roumania or Servia in Central Asian politics. 

Tui'histan. — Along the northern frontier of Persia, Af- 
ghanistan, and Cashmere, stretches a vast expanse of rolling 
table-land, crossed here and there by rugged hills, and watered 
mainly by two rivers, the Sir and the Amu, better known to 
classical scholars as the Jaxartes and the Oxus. Turkistan, 
or, as it was once called, Tartary, extends from the Caspian 
to the borders of China, and is peopled for the most part by 
roving tribes of Turkomans, Uzbeks, Kurghiz, and other 
branches of the great Mongol race. Of this vast region the 
only settled parts are the three '^ Khanates," or kingdoms of 
Khiva, Khokan, and Bokhara, with the country lately ruled 
by Yakub Beg, the strong-handed Ameer of Kashgar. The 
terrible Tartar, Chingiz Khan, carried his iron sway over the 
greater part of Central Asia, and his famous grandson Tamer- 
lane (Timur the lame), ruled over a wide dominion from his 
splendid capital of Samarcand in Bokhara. Erom the neigh- 
boring province of Khokan, or Firghana, Timurs illustrious 
descendant, Baber, made his way, after many strange turns 
of fortune, across the Indus to found the Mogul Empire of 
Hindustan. Khiva, the ancient Kharizm, was also, in its 
time, a powerful kingdom; but its greatness had long decayed, 
before the marauding habits of its people provoked the Rus- 
sians, in 1874, to invade their country, and reduce their 
Khan to the state of a tributary prince. 

One after another, each of these three khanates has felt 
the weight of Russia's victorious arms, and paid with loss of 
territory for its raids on Russian ground, or its vain resist- 
ance to Russian ambition. The work of conquest, begun 



^38 IKDIA A^D HEE KEIGHBORS. 

about twenty-five years ago, has already stripped them of 
half their former territories, and the khans who still nomi- 
nally rule the remainder have sunk into the position of weak 
and obedient vassals to the ^' White Czar." Kashgar, on the 
other hand, under the strong sway of the late Yakub Beg, 
the successful soldier from Audijan in Khokan, has in the 
last twenty years risen from an outlying province of Western 
China into a powerful Mahomedan State, connected by com- 
mercial treaties ahke with Eussia and British India. The 
encouraging reports of Enghsh travelers to Yarkand, one of 
the Amir's chief cities, were followed up in 1874 by the des- 
patch of an English mission nnder Sir Douglas Forsyth, who 
brought back with him a treaty securing favorable "terms of 
trade between the two countries. It would appear, however, 
that no profitable trade can ever be established with a coun- 
try divided from India and Cashmere by dreary and difiicult 
mountain passes of tremendous height, open only for a few 
months in the 3"ea.r, and even then unfit for the passage of 
anything but lightly laden mules and ponies. The Chinese, 
moreover, who have so lately crushed the Mahomedan revolt 
in Yunnan, seem little disposed to let Kashgar slip forever 
from their grasp; while the close neighborhood of Eussia, 
with her known dislike of all commercial rivals, bodes ill for 
the hopes which Sir D. Forsyth's mission raised in the hearts 
of English cotton-spinners and Indian dealers in tea, kinkobs 
(or gold brocades), piece-goods and shawls, even were it pos- 
sible to overcome the physical difficulties. 

But Yakoob Beg is dead, and a striking actor is removed 
from the scene of Central Asian politics, leaving his kingdom 
to be absorbed once more in the overgrown Empire of China, 
which has been for years slowly advancing to resume its old 
dominion. Or, if the Celestials are too tardy, Eussia is ready 
Avith her protection, like as in the other Khanates, even 
although the people may be Mahomedan fanatics; and their 
late prince received titles of honor from holy Bhokara and 
the Sooltan of Eoom. No man in Central Asia can wield the 
sword of Yakoob Beg. 

" If Kashgar were permitted to fall into the Czar's posses- 
sion, we should lose our prestige with the Mahomedans in 
Central Asia; whilst the occupation of Kashgar would prove 
a disagreeable thorn in our side, and give^ rise to endless 
intrigues." 



INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 239 

''"We have learnt how much trust can be placed in a Eas- 
sian statesman's promises." * 

How methodically and steadily, if slowly, the task enjoined 
npon his successors by Peter the Great has been pursued, let 
history attest. 

The old southern boundary of Eussia in Central Asia ex- 
tended from the Ural, north of the Caspian, by Orenburg and 
Orsk, to the old Mongolian city of Semipolatinsk, and was 
guarded by a cordon of Cossack outposts. In 1716 Peter the 
Great sent a force, commanded by Prince Bekovich, to take 
possession of part of the eastern shore of the Caspian. Three 
forts were then built, though subsequently abandoned, after 
an unsuccessful expedition against the KhiA-ans. More re- 
cently, since 1834, Eussia has succeeded in firmly establish- 
ing herself on the eastern shore of the Caspian, where she 
has now four joermanent posts, Port AlexandroYsk, Krasno- 
Yodsk, at the mouth of the Balkan Gulf; Chikishlar, at the 
mouth of the Atreck; and the Island of Ashurada. To the 
east she has crossed the Kirghis Steppe and established her- 
self on the Sir Daria, or Jaxartes, which Admiral Boutakoff 
is said to haye navigated for 1,000 miles in 1863. Thus the 
Eussian frontier in Central Asia has been pushed forward 
until her advanced posts on the east look down from the 
Tian Shan range upon the plains of Chinese Turkestan. In 
"Western Turkestan, abo, she has gradually extended her 
boundary, and has annexed or subjected Tashkend, Kokand, 
Khojend, Samarcand, Bokhara and Khiva. In thus pursu- 
ing her career of annexation, Eussia but follows the nat- 
ural policy of a great military empire, being forced, 
moreover, as Sir John Malcolm said, by an impelling 
power which civilization cannot resist when in contact 
with barbarism. She may indeed stop short of absolute 
and entire annexation, but there can be no doubt that by 
bringing Khiva under th*same yoke as Bokhara, has estab- 
lished her influence on the Oxus, as she has already established 
it on the Jaxartes. The Oxus, or Amu Daria, is a noble 
river, not easy of navigation, but, it is believed, capable of 
being made so. It will furnish a ready means of carrying 
the tide of Eussian annexation eastward until it finds a bar- 
rier in the Hindoo Koosh. When Eussia shall have estab- 
lished herself along the Oxus, her position will be at once 
menacing to Persia and India. From Chard juy on the Oxus 

• " A Ride to Khiva," by Captain Fred Burnaby. 



340 IN"DIA AND HEB KEIGHBORS. 

there is a road to Merv, distant about 150 miles, and from 
Merv a direct road runs along the valley of the Murghab to 
Herat, the ''key of India." Merv is historically a part of 
the Persian Empire, but in these countries it is uotorjously 
difficult to define boundaries with any precision. Should 
Eussia succeed in occupying Merv, as there is too much rea- 
son to fear she ultimately will, and in converting the noigh- 
hoving tribes into friends or allies, her position would be one 
which we could not regard without the gravest apprehension. 
iSurely, in the face of such facts as these, the time has 
-arrived when England should rouse herself from the 
apathy of the past, and take steps to secure the incalcu- 
lable advantages which would accrue to herself and her 
Eastern dependencies from the opening up of the Euphrates 
route. 

The military, and political value of the Euphrates Line 
is a matter of extreme moment, and has a far more de- 
cided bearing on the defence, not only of Turkey, but of 
Persia and the whole district lying between the Mediter- 
ranean,_ the Caspian, and the Indian Ocean, than might at 
first be supposed. 

So long ago as 1858, Field -Mai^shal Lieutenant Baron Kuhn 
von Kuhnenfeld, Austrian War Minister, predicted that Rus- 
sia would in future probably try to satisfy her craving for an 
open sea-board by operating through Asia. 

''She will not," says this distinguished authority, "reach 
the shores of the Persian Gulf in one stride, or by means of 
one great war. But taking advantage of continental compli- 
cations, when the attention and energy of European States 
are engaged in contests more nearly concerning them, she 
will endeavor to reach the Persian Gulf step by step, by an- 
nexing separate districts of Armenia, by operating against 
Khiva and Bokhara, and by seizing Persian provinces. 

" ' The most important lines i^ich Russia must keep in 
view for these great conquests are: 

" '1. The line from Kars to the Valley of the Euphrates 
and Mesopotamia. 

"'2. That from Erivan by Lake Van to Mossul in the 
Valley of the Tigris, to Mesopotamia, and thence, after junc- 
tion with the first line, to Bagdad. 

" ' 3. That from Tabreez to Schuster, in the Valley of the 
Kereha, where it joins. 



INDIA A^'B HER NEIGHBORS. 241 



(< 



* 4. The road leading from Teheran by Ispahan to Schus- 
ter, and thence to the Persian Gulf. 

'^ ' Once in possession of the Euphrates, the road to the 
Mediterranean, via Aleppo and Antioch, and to the conquest 
of Asia Minor and Syria, is but short. 

^' 'It is clear that all these lines are intersected by the line 
of the Euphrates, which, running in an oblique direction 
from the head of the gulf north of Antioch to the Persian 
Gulf, passes along the diagonal of a great quadrilateral which 
has its two western corners on the Mediterranean, its two 
eastern on the Caspian and Persian Seas, and so takes all 
Bussian lines of advance in flank. 

*' ' From this it is evident that the secure possession of the 
Euphrates Line is decisive as regards the ownership of all 
land lying within the quadrilateral. It must, therefore, be 
the political and strategic task of Eussia to get the Euphrates 
Line into her hands, and that of her enemies to prevent her 
doing so at any cost. 

"' The great importance of a railway along this decisive 
line which connects Antioch with the Persian Gulf, follows 
as a matter of course. It is the only means by which it 
would be possible to concentrate, at any moment, on the 
Euphrates or in the northern portion of Mesopotamia, a force 
sufficiently strong to operate on the flanks of the Eussian line 
of advance and stop any forward movement. 

*' ^It is true that, at first, the aggressive policy of Eussia 
in the East will only threaten the kingdoms of Turkey and 
Persia, but as neither one nor the other, nor both combined, 
would be strong enough, without assistance, to meet the dan- 
ger successfully, England must do so; and it is certain that 
she must, sooner or later, become engaged in a fierce contest 
for supremacy with Eussia. 

'^ ' The Euphrates Valley Eailway becomes, therefore, a 
factor of inestimable importance in the problem of this great 
contest. Even now the construction of the line will counter- 
act the Asiatic policy of Eussia, for it will strengthen the 
influence of England in Central Asia, and weaken that of 
Eussia, 

" 'The growth of Eussia in the East threatens, though in- 
directly, the whole of Europe, as well as the States named 
above; for, if she were firmly established in Asia Minor, the 
real apple of discord, Constantinople, would be in imminent 
danger,;^all the commerce of the Mediterranean would fall 



242 IKDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

into her hands, and she would command the canal through 
the Isthmus of Suez. 

*'' Whatever the commercial value of the Suez Canal to 
Centra] Euiope, tliere is no doubt that it is secondary in im- 
portance to the Euphrates Railway, which affords the only 
means of stemming Russian advances in Central Asia, and 
which directly covers the Suez Canal. ^ 

•' Yet the establishment of this route has been pressed for 
twenty years in vain on the attention of the government of 
this country; and even the high recommendation of the Se- 
lect Committee of the House of Commons has failed to 
awaken the government to a sense of the gravity of the 
issues involved.''* 

* " The Euphrates Valley route to India, in connection with the Central Asian 
Question," by W. P. Andrew. A lecture delivered at the Royal United Service In- 
stitution, May, 1873. 



II^DIA AiTD HER, KEIGHBOBS* 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

OUE NEIGHBOES — continued. 
Tibet — Nepaul — Sikhim — Bhutan — Burman — Siara. 

Tihet. — The great table-land of Tibet, lying between the 
Knen Lnn Eange and the Himalayas, is still for the most 
part a land unknown to Europeans, whom Chinese jealousy 
has long and persistently shut out from even a passing ac- 
quaintance with the country ruled in their name by a "suc- 
cession of }3uddhist Lamas, or incarnation, of the great 
Buddha himself. Of these Lamas, whose sanctity is upheld 
by large bodies of Buddhist monks, dwelling in strong con- 
vents picturesquely perched on steep hill-tops, the most im- 
portant is the Lama of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in the 
valley of the Sanpee, or upper course of the Brahmaputra. It 
was to one of his predecessors that Warren Hastings, in 1784, 
sent Mr. Bogle on a friendly mission, which was welcomed in 
a friendly spirit. Eor a few years an Indian agent lived at 
the Lama's capital, and trade with Bengal was carried on by 
way of Bogra. But little came of a movement which suc- 
ceeding governors-general were unable or unwilling to follow 
up, and fear of ]N"epaulese aggression united with orders from 
China to close the doors which Warren Hastings had opened. 
Early in this century another Englishman, Mr. Manning, 
made his way as far as Lhaso, but he too had to leave the 
country. Of later years Lhasha has been visited, and parts 
of Tibet surveyed by some of Colonel Montgomerie's " Pun- 
dits," traveling in disguise as Buddhist pilgrims. Hitherto, 
however, all attempts to open Tibet, the country of the shawl 
goat, of gold, silver, and precious stones, to our regular In- 
dian trade, have been baf&ed by the vigilance of the Chinese 
soldiers along the frontier. . 

Nepaul. — Along the southern frontier of Tibet lie the 
Himalayan States of IM'epaul, Sikhim, and Bhutan. Of these 
the westernmost is the independent kingdom of Nepaul, 



244 INDIA AXD HER N'EIGHBORS. 

which stretches for about 500 miles along the Himalayas, 
overlooking Eohilkund, Oude, and Northern Bengal, and is 
peopled mainly by races of Tibetan or Chinese descent, with 
a certain admixture of Hindoo or semi-Hindoo immigrants, 
who form the governing race. The highest mountains in the 
world furnish a snowy background to this Indian Switzerland 
without its lakes. The ISTepaulese mostly dwell in the val- 
leys, the largest of which is twelve miles long by nine broad. 
Through these valleys, which are fairly cultivated, flow the 
Gogra, the Gundak, and the Kosi, on their way down the 
mighty Ganges. Oatmandoo, the capital, lies in ona of the 
valleys, along the bank of a small stream, and is reckoned to 
have a population of 50,000. Most of the people are Budd- 
hists in religion and Mongol in speech, but the ruling classes 
speak a kind of Hindi. Copper, iron, and brass articles are 
manufactured in the country, and form with timber, hides, 
rice, ginger, and honey, the chief objects of trade with other 
countries. 

In the beginning of this century an English resident was 
established at Catmandoo, where the Gurkha dynasty had 
reigned for about forty years past. But in a few years the 
Eesident was recalled, and, in 1814, the continued encroach- 
ments of the Nepaulese on British ground led to a war in 
which, after a brave resistance, they were finally beaten by 
Sir David Ochterlony; and the Gurkha Government had tO' 
purchase peace by forfeiting part of their possessions. From 
that time an English resident has always lived at Catmcindoo; 
but to this day no other Englishman is allowed to enter the 
country. 

Ever since 1846, when the famous Jung Bahadur marched 
his way to power by the destruction of all his rivals, the gov- 
ernment of the country virtually rested in his hands, under 
a Rajah who retains the mere show of kingly power. During 
the Slutiny Sir Jung Bahadur proved so useful an ally that 
he was rewarded with some forest lands on the Oude border, 
and made Grand Commander of the Star of India.* He 
gave the Prince of Wales a princely welcome within the bor- 
ders of Nepaul, and treated him to some days of rare and ex- 
citing sport among the elephants and tigers of the Terai, or 
jungle, at the foot of the Nepatilese hills. Sir Jung having 
died rather suddenly, a son appears to have succeeded to his 
power. 

* Previous to this Sir Jung was a G. C. 6. 



IKBIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 245 

^ikliim. — The little State of Sikliim cliyides Kepaul from 
Bhutan, of which latter it may be called ' an oftshoot. Our 
relations with the Sikhim Rajah began apparently in 1817, 
when his little territory in the Tista valley was placed under 
a British guarantee. In 1835 he made the Darjeeling district 
over to the Indian Government for a few hundred pounds a 
year. His seizure of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Hooker, in 1849, 
in revenge for the refusal of the government to send bagk his 
runaway slaves, was punished by the forfeiture of his lowland 
domains and the temporary stoppage of his allowance. But 
the latter was afterwards restored to him, and has lately been 
doubled as a reward for his co-operation in our efforts to open 
a trade with Tibet through his country. 

Bhutan. — Bhutan, on the east of Sikhim, covers the north- 
ern frontier of Assam. The Bhutias, who people its rugged 
highlands, are of a kindred, race to their Tibetan and Bur- 
mese neighbors. They, too, are Buddhists, if they are any- 
thing, in creed, and are governed in spiritual things by a 
Dharm Eajah, and ,by a Deb Rajah in things temporal. 
Their chiefs are called Penlos. In the time of Warren Hast- 
ings their raids into Kooch Behar were checked by British 
interference; and since then they gave us no further trouble 
until after our conquest of Assam. Subsequent raids into 
Assam provoked reprisals, followed by the despatch of Mr. 
Ashley Eden's embassy to Punakha. He was received with 
coldness and insolence, which brought on a war ending in the 
annexation of the Duars, or passes from Bhutan into Dhar- 
angu and Kamrup. 

In the highlands to the east of Bhutan and round the 
northeastern frontier of Assam, are a number of wild tribes, 
Abors, Daflas, Mishmis, Singphos, Kamptis, and so forth, all 
of the same Chinese type, and more or less prone to raiding 
across the frontier. By means of small yearly payments in 
money, they are generally kept from indulging their lawless 
habits at the cost of their peaceful neighbors; but the desire 
for plunder sometimes gets the better of their prudence, until 
they have learned the sharp lesson of a close blockade. 

Burmah. — The Patoki and Yomadung Hills form the 
western boundary of Burmah Proper, whose southern fron- 
tier marches with Pegu and Siam. It is bounded on the 
east by Yunnan and on the north by offshoots from the 
Himalayas. Its area of 42,000 square miles, watered by the 
Irawaddy and the Salwin, is supposed to contain about 3,000,* 



246 



INDIA AND HER KEIGHBORS. 



000 souls. Mandalay, the present capital, lies on the Ira- 
wad dy, not far from the ruins of two former capitals, Aya 
and Amerapura. In the days of Alompra, a successful mili- 
tary adventurer and his earliest successors, the Burman em- 
pire extended over Assam, Arakan, Pegu, and other prov- 
inces now subject to British rule. But Burman arrogance 
came into conflict with British power, and the braggart King 
of A¥a paid dearly for his rash invasion of Bengal with the 
loss of several provinces in 1826. In 1853 another war, pro- 
voked by another Kitig of Burmah, ended in the forfeiture 
of Pegu and the remainder of the Burman seaboard. A 
British Eesident is now firmly established at Mandalay, a 
city of wooden buildings, which contains about 80,000 in- 
habitants, and is the seat of a considerable trade with British 
Burmah and Western China. Within and about the Burman 
frontier are a number of hill-tribes, Shans, Khakyens, and 
Karens, over whom the King of Burmah has little, if any, 
direct control. Higher up the Irawaddy is the town of 
Bhamo, whence Major Sladen le*d an exploring party in 1868, 
across the hills to the borders of Yunnan, with the view of 
opening up a regular trade-route from Western China to Ean- 
goon. Burman jealousy and the Panthay revolt from China 
combined to mar the success of his undertaking, and a more 
recent mission, led by Colonel Horace Browne, was driven 
back by a sudden onset of hill-men and Chinese, with the 
loss of one of its leading members, the brave young Mar- 
gary, who had just before made a successful journey overland 
from Pekin to Bhamo. 

Siam. — On the southern frontier of Burmah is the king- 
dom of Siam, peo|)led by a kindred race to the Burmese, with 
features yet more expressive of their Mongol origin. They, 
too, like their neighbors, are Buddhists in religion. The 
western frontier of Siam marches with that of Tehassarim. 
Its chief river, the Meinam, flows southward into the Gulf of 
Siam, past Bankok, the seapoii; of the capital itself, which 
lies forty miles higher up the river. Siam, the capital, is 
surrounded with water, and intersected with canals, spanned 
by numerous bridges. The houses are mostly built, like 
those in Burmah, of timber and bamboo, thatched with palm- 
leaves; those nearest the river being raised some feet from the 
ground on strong wooden piles. Outside the city is a float- 
ing town of boats, each the home of two or three families. 
Elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, boars, and other wild beasts 



INDIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 247 

abound in the woods and marshes of Siam. Its mines yield 
gold, copper, tin, lead, and antimony, and the rich soil of the 
plains needs little help from art to grow anything suited to a 
tropical climate. In the animal kingdom the most celebrated 
is the famous white elephant, and the edible swallow, whose 
nest is the delight of Chinese gourmands. The present King 
of Siam is an able and enlightened ruler, well stored with 
Western learning, and of a marked turn for scientific pur- 
suits. His good will to the rulers of India has shown itself 
in various Avays, and the help he gave our astronomers in the 
process of observing the recent transit of Venus would have 
done honor to the mcst civilized of Western States. 

The foreign trade is in 'the hands of Chinese, and centres 
at BanMyk, the capital. In 1874 the exports amounted to 
£1,225,864, the chief article being rice. The imports were 
of the value of £964,128, comprising textile fabrics, hard- 
ware and opium, all from India.* 

* " Area about 250,000 square miles. 

Population. . " 11,800,000=47 to sq. m. 

Revenue. . ' .estimated at £3,145,000. 

Expenditure is stated to be witbin receipts."! 
+ "Statesman's Year Book," for 1878. 



248 IITDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 



CHAPTEE XXXIX. 

OUR NEIGHBORS — Continued. 

Malay Peninsula— Singapore — Java — Sumatra — Borneo — Spice Islands 

— New Guinea. 

The Malay Peninsula. — South of Tenassarim stretches the 
long, narrow Malayan Peninsula, inhabited by people chiefly 
of the original Malay stock, from which the native popula- 
tions throughout the Eastern Archipelago have sprung, but 
containing also Indian, Chinese, and other elements. The 
greater part of the peninsula is divided into small States, each 
ruled by an independent chief or Sultan, whose power over 
his vassals varies with his ability and their own means of re- 
sistance. English rule, however, prevails in the district of 
Malacca, bordering the Straits between the Peninsula and the 
Island of Sumatra. Malacca, its chief town, lies at the mouth 
of a small river, and has long been the outlet for a considera- 
ble trade. In the last two centuries this province has passed 
successively under Portuguese, Dutch, and English rule; the 
last-named transfer dating from 1824. The other English 
settlements in this quarter are Penang, a small island off the 
Malayan coast, near the northern entrance of the Straits, the 
province of Wellesley, a narrow strip of seaboard opposite 
Penang, and the island and town of Singapore. 

Singapore is a place of considerable importance, serving as 
an entrepot for the commerce of Europe, India, China, and 
the Eastern Archipelago. Its admirable position, and the 
entire absence of any restrictive dues or vexatious regula- 
tions, have combined to raise it within a comparatively brief 
period to a centre of great activity. The climate, though 
hot, is remarkably healthy.* 

These '* Straits Settlements," as they are called, were for 
many years ruled from India, in the name of the East India 

* 4r©a, 1,350 square miles; population, 303,097, 



Iiq-DIA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 249 

Company; but after the transfer of India to tlie Crown, tliey 
were disjoined from the Viceroy's goyernment and adminis- 
tered by the Colonial Office. 

Java. — Of the three large islands that fringe the Malay 
Peninsula, Java, the smallest and southernmost, is the most 
important. It is about 575 miles long, and varies in breadth 
from about 48 to 120 miles. The soil is, for the most part, 
extremely fertile, and it produces large crops of coffee, sugar, 
rice and spices. Tobacco and tea are also cultivated with 
success, though at present on a small scale. The climate is 
generally healthy. The island contains several volcanoes, 
and earthquakes are consequently not uncommon. It is, as 
is well known, under the dominion of the Dutch, whose 
system of administration has been very successful in securing 
the prosperity of the European settlers and tranquillity among 
the native tribes. As in Hindustan, the government is the 
principal land-owner; but, unlike our sovereignty, it derives 
large direct trade profits from its possessions, which go to 
swell the revenues of the mother country. In the five years 
between 1811 and 1816, the island passed under British rule, 
and Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed lieutenant-governor, 
under the authorities at Calcutta. While occupying this po- 
sition, he instituted many reforms and greatly ameliorated 
the condition of the native races, by whom his memory was 
long gratefully cherished. The original population of Java 
is Malay, but there are numerous admixtures from neighbor- 
ing countries. The Chinese are well represented, and many 
of the settlers from the " Flowery Land " have achieved 
wealth and position as planters or traders. The religion of 
the natives is chiefly the Mahomedan. There are still several 
native princes exercising a certai,n amount of authority, and 
some of them maintaining considerable state, but their rule 
is always under the direction of the agents of the Supreme 
Government. It is in Java that the fabled Upas tree was 
said to flourish which destroyed all life that came within the 
influence of its deadly exhalations.* 

The Dutch claim authority over most of the other islands 
of the Eastern Archipelago, the chief seat of government 
for the whole of their possessions being at Batavia, the capi- 

* The word Upas in the Javanese dialect signifies poison, and it has been applied 
to a large forest tree, the Antiaris Toxicaria. which yields a juice of dangerous 
quality, which the natives used in former times to poison their arrows. The 
operation of the poison, however, is slow, and it can be easily counteracted. This 
appears to be the origin of the Upas tree of tradition, and the reality, as usual, 
affords a very slender basis for the absurd superstructure of fiction. 



250 IKDIA AKD HEE NEIGHBOEg. 

tal of Java, from whicli place a well-conducted steam service 
keeps up regular communication with the outlying territories. 
Batavia was formerly very insalubrious, having been built in 
the old Dutch style on a low, marshy site, with numerous 
canals running through it; but some few years ago the canals 
were filled up, and other improvements were introduced, and 
it is now considered as healthy as any town in the East. Of 
the other towns in Java, Samarang and Sourabaya on the 
north coast are by far the most important. The places on 
the south coast are few and small, but regular communication 
has recently been established between them and Batavia, and 
the usual results of increased facilities of intercourse may be 
expected to follow.* 

Sumatra, the large island northwest of Java, has still its 
native rulers, but all of them are now under Dutch control. 
Till lately the Sultan of Atjeh, or Acheen, occupied an inde- 
pendent position as sovereign of a small but valuable district 
at the northwest end of Sumatra, but, hostilities having 
broken out between him and the Dutch in 1872, the result 
has been that he and his feudatories after a stubborn resist- 
ance are now practically reduced to subjection. Sumatra has 
many large tracts still unexplored,, some of which are believed 
to contain valuable mineral deposits. It is the country from 
which black pepper is mostly obtained, and this was the 
principal article of trade of the subjects of the Sultan of 
Atjeh. Other tropical products such as coffee and sago are 
profitably cultivated, and at Deli and Langkat on the eastern 
coast tobacco plantations have lately been much extended. 
Padang, the capital of Sumatra, is on the western coast, and 
since the commencement of military operations at Atjeh has 
greatly risen in importance. 

Borneo. — In this large island — the largest in the world 
next to Australia — the Dutch have extended their sway over 
about two-thirds of its space, and they have several settle- 
ments on the east, west and south coasts, from whence their 
influence extends over the rule of the native chiefs. Borneo 
is a mountainous country, but the coasts are bordered by ex- 
tensive plains, the soil of which well repays the cultivator. 

* ** Area 51,336 square miles. 

Population ; . 18,125,269 — or 353 per square mile, 

1874— Imports.. .. £7,874,416. 

1874— Exports £12,017,666."} 

t " Statesman's Year Book," 1878, 



IKDIA A]s!D HER NEIGHBORS. 251 

Its native inliabitants are of a fiercer and more intractable 
character than those of the neighboring islands, and owing to 
this, among other causes, European settlement has not made 
the rapid progress which from the natural advantages of the 
island might have been predicted. Here we find innumerable 
species of the Simla tribe, including the orang outang. On 
the northeast coast of Borneo is the province of Sarawak, 
which some thirty years ago was granted by the Sultan of 
Borneo to Sir James Brooke, as a reward for assistance ren- 
dered in suppressing the piratical raids of the Dyaks, a fierce 
and sanguinary tribe of his own subjects. 

Since Islands and Neiu Guinea.-^To the east of Borneo 
are the beautiful S|)ice Islands, the most important, though 
not the largest of which are Amboyna and Banda, the nut- 
meg and clove plantations of which are widely celebrated, 
and the tawny and robust inhabitants, once amongst the 
most warlike, are now subdued and peaceable. Eastward 
again of the Spice Islands, the magnificent Island of New 
Guinea claims attention. At present it is but little known, 
although doubtless before long European enterprise will suc- 
ceed in establishiug a footing there, to the advantage both of 
its promoters and of the now uncivilized inhabitants of the 
island. The exquisite birds of Paradise, whose plumage has 
been so frequently borrowed to grace the head gear of ladies, 
find their chief home in New Guinea. 



252 Il^DIA AiTD HEE l^EIGHBOES. 



CHAPTER XL. 

OUE isTEiGHBOES — concluded, 

Muscat — Zanzibar — Ceylon. 

Muscat and Zanzibar. — Muscat or Oman on the South 
Arabian, and Zanzibar on the East African coast, should also 
be mentioned in a list of India's neighbors. The Arab rulers 
of both countries are of the same family, Zanzibar formerly 
paying tribute to Muscat. But fourteen years ago, on tlie 
death of the last Imaun, Zanzibar became independent. Oman 
forms the southeast extremity of the Arabian peninsula, 
washed partly by the Indian Ocean and partly by the Persian 
Gulf. The surface is varied by mountains and woods, wilder- 
nesses and fertile oases; the latter produce dates, grain, and 
lofty trees, yielding the true gum arabic (acacia vera). Mus- 
cat and Mattra are the chief town and ports of the country 
ruled by the Imaun or Sultan; the former is the capital, and 
is situated near the entrance to the Persian Gulf, with a pop- 
ulation estimated at 60,000, The harbor is completely shel- 
tered from the prevailing winds or monsoons. The town is 
built along the shore in the form of a horseshoe, encircled by 
hills crowned with forts. The houses are mean; even the 
Sultan's palace is no exception. The streets are so narrow, 
that palm leaves laid across from house to house form a per- 
fect protection from the sun, whose rays are here unusually 
powerful. The town of Mattra is near Muscat, is connected 
with it by a good road, and has about the same number of 
inhabitants; has docks for ships and a seafaring population. 
There is an extensive transit trade with Arabia, Persia, and 
India; cloth and corn being the principal imports. The ex- 
ports consist of dates, horses, salt-fish, hides, and madder to 
India; sharks' fins to China, and asses, etc., to Mauritius; 
besides pearls and gums and other products. In addition to 
the native Arab inhabitants there are, attracted by the hope 



INDIA a:^T) her neighbors. 253 

of gain or barter, Persians, Hindoos, Syrians, Kurds, Af- 
ghans, Beloochees, Negroes, and other races.* 

Zanzibar. — The Suahele or Zanzibar coast is, commer- 
cially, the most important portion of the east coast of Af- 
rica. Facing it, and close to the main land, are the islands 
of Pemba, Zanzibar, and Mafia, which, together with the 
adjacent coast, are subject to the Sultan of Zanzibar, though 
his rule does not extend far inland. 

"The extreme limits of his rule are the settlement of 
Warsheikh, on the southern Somali coast, north of the Juba, 
and the village of Tanque, immediately south of Cape Del- 
gado (10 deg. 43 min. S.), where his dominions touch those 

of Portugal."! 

According to Stanley, '^Zanzibar is, of course, the place 
from which travelers bound for East Central Africa start. It 
is forty-five miles long by about fifteen miles average width. 
It is interesting to the explorer as the point where he organ- 
izes his forces. " 

The Island of Zanzibar is ''2,400 nautical miles from the 
southern point of India, and about the same distance from 
the Cape of Cood Hope and the Suez Canal."}; 

The town of Zanzibar has a handsome appearance, ^ being 
built of white stone; and the streets present an animated 
aspect, from the motley crowds of natives and foreign mer- 
chants from all the neighboring coasts engaged in the com- 
merce of this rising port, which is the centre of the trade_ of 
the eastern shores of Africa. From the apathy of the native 
races the trade is almost entirely monopolized by Hindoo as 
well as Mahomedan merchants from India, who deal not only 
in English goods, but in those of the continent of Europe and 
America. Notwithstanding the great acuteness and per- 
severance of these Indian traders, the vast resources of the 
east of Africa are far from being developed. Ever since the 
British India Steam ISTavigatioi^ Company in 1873 established 
a monthly line of steamers between Aden, Zanzibar and 
Madagascar, a considerable impulse has been imparted to 
commerce. The slave trade has been for years chiefly in 
the hands of the natives of India, but in 1873 Sir Bartle 
Frere, as the representative of England, concluded a treaty 
with the Sultan of Zanzibar for its suppression in Eastern 

* "Universal Gazetteer," by W. F. Ainsworth, F.K.G.S., &c. 
t " Africa," by Keith Johnston. 
t " Africa," by Keith Johnston. 



254 INDIA AND HER NEIGHBORS. 

Africa, which was considered at the time a diplomatic vic- 
tory; as yet, however, the chief result obtained has been that 
of giving the traffic a new direction by longer routes to other 
ports, leaving the old familiar roads and depots for shipment 
on the -coast encumbered and defiled with the skeletons of a 
bygone trade. 

Slowly it begins to appear that, so long as the demand for 
slaves all over the East continues, this inhuman traffic cannot 
be effectually put down. Domestic slavery in Egypt has not 
diminished, and the demand for slaves in Arabia, Persia and 
Madagascar is now as great as ever, and a new slave market 
on the Somali coast, near Cape Guardafui, was recently 
established for local wants. 

Besides, in the interior there are no means of preventing 
the Africans themselves from taking part in the purchase and 
sale of slaves; and in many regions the horrors of a revolting 
superstition and the hideous practice of cannibalism reign 
supreme. In regarding the various races in the dark conti- 
nent, ifc is melancholy to think that the man-eating barbarian 
excels his fellow barbarians, both in physical attributes and 
mental force. 

Commerce under European guidance will, it is hoped, 
gradually penetrate into the darkest recesses of this benighted 
land, bringing in its train the humanizing and elevating 
influences of the religion and enlightenment of the West, 
rending asunder the dark cloud of cruelty and barbarism 
with which its face has been covered for centuries as with a 
funeral pall. It may be long, but it will surely come, when, 
instead of internecine war there shall be peace; when the 
sound of the hammer shall ring in the solitude, and the desert 
shall blossom as the rose. Ages must elapse before the Afri- 
can is free, but in the meantime the good work is progress- 
ing. 

The present Sultan of Zanzibar, Seyd Burghash,* is giving 

* " Zanzibar and the Slave Trade.— Having only recently returned from the 
east coast of Africa, where I had been employed organizing a colony of freed 
slaves on behalf of the Church Missionary Society, at Frere Town, Mombas, I wish 
to add my testimony to the sincerity and good faith of His Highness the Sultan 
in the part he is taking for the suppression of the traffic. His last scheme has 
been to raise a force, consisting entirely of freed slaves, to take the place of the 
mercenaries from the north, who are directly interested in keeping the trade 
alive. These men are well drilled by European instructors, and are ready at any 
time to be landed where their services may be required. My object in writing 
you, sir, is to suggest that something should be (Jone to recognize the efforts of 



IKDIA AN"D HEE KEIGHBORS. 256 

effect to the treaty for the suppression of the slave trade with 
sincerity and good faith, and when his highness visited this 
country, not long ago, he made a very favorable impression 
by his dignified demeanor and the anxiety he evinced for the 
improvement of his country. During the prevalence of the 
slave trade, the valuable resources of the country were unde- 
veloped and legitimate trade entirely neglected, but now the 
energies of the merchants are directed of necessity to the es- 
tablishment of a trade in ivory, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, 
cocoa, coffee, nutmegs and other spices, indigo, cotton and 
other products, and the sultan has set a good example by the 
establishment of thriving plantations. He has also an ex- 
tensive and valuable stud for rearing horses, the entrance to 
which is said to be guarded by an enormous sow, as a charm 
against evil spirits playing pranks on the horses. 

The population of the island and town of Zanzibar ^^is 
estimated at from 300,000 to 350,000, or about 375 to the 
square mile; and of this number about 60,000 live in the 
city. During the northeast monsoon, the arrival of foreign 
traders increased the population by 30,000 or 40,000. The 
basis of the population is formed by the Arabic owners of the 
soil, and the numerous half-castes of mixed Arabic and 
African blood."* 

Ceylon. — One of India's nearest neighbors is the Island of 
Ceylon, divided at one point from Southern India only by a 
narrow sea with rocks and sand-banks, one of the latter, of 
considerable magnitude, being denominated Adam's Bridge, 
between two parallel ridges of rock, leaving, after several at- 
tempts at improvement, a passage for vessels of light draught. 
Taprobane, under which name it was known to the ancients, 
the great island, the fame of which has exercised such an in- 
fluence over men's minds for many centuries — *^ the mother 
land of fables — the counby which to the Greeks, the Eo- 
mans, the Eg3rptians, and the Arabs offered the same myste- 
rious attractions that the East long did to the people of West- 

* •' Africa," by Keith Johnston. 

Seyd Burghash in having done his part well. No better time than the present 
could be found to send his highness 400 Snider rifles, with a good supply of 
ammunition, as his troops are principally armed with the] old match-lock. As his 
new yacht will sail shortly for Zanzibar, the arm- racks on board should not be 
empty. I remain, sir, your obedient servant, 

"W, F. A. H. RussEUi, Commander, R. N., 
"Temple Club, Anmdel street. Strand, March 25."— Tiwe*. 



256 mmA AKD HER NEIGHBORS. 

ern Europe." The mountain range which forms the back- 
bone of Ceylon varies in height from two to eight thousand 
feet, and undulates into fair and fertile valleys, while great 
tracts of forest afford shelter to elephants and many other 
wild beasts. Ceylon, or Lanka, its old Hindoo name, is 
about the size of Ireland, and is supposed to contain over 
two million people, mostly Buddhists, who speak a lan- 
guage akin to the Tamil of Southern India. In the north- 
ern parts are various races of Indian origin, while Ma- 
homedan Arabs are found everywhere, and a few aboriginal 
Veddahs still linger in their native forests and hills. The 
Indian element has of late been fed by a steady flow of im- 
migrants from the mainland. Eice, coffee, cotton, sugar, 
tobacco, cinnamon, and cocoa-nuts form the staple produce 
of the island, which also yields many kinds of minerals and 
precious stones. 

The interior is remarkable for possessing some of the 
grandest and most lovely scenery in the world, the hill sides 
being clothed with the most exuberant and magnificent of 
tropical vegetation, mingled with trees of a sterner climate. 
Side by side with the oak there are the banyan and iron- wood 
trees, the satin-wood tree and the acacia, rhododendron and 
magnolia, with mighty creepers, while mountain and valley 
glow with every variety of flower and color. All this is still 
to be seen in full bloom and beauty, in defiance of the in- 
roads of the rice and coffee planters. 

Kandy, in the middle of the island, was the seat of a long 
line of native kings. Since the final capture of Kandy, in 
1815, there have been several uprisings and rebellions, one, 
the most formidable, in 1817; the latter in 1848> which Lord 
Torrington stamped out with a vigor which nearly brought 
on him the fate incurred by Governor Eyre in later years. 

" All we had heard," says a recent traveler, '^ of the beauty 
of the situation of Kandy and of the character of the scen- 
ery, was fully sustained. In a deep ravine at one side of the 
plateau, or, more properly speaking, of the broad valley sur- 
rounded by hills, overlooking a still deeper depression, on 
which the town is situated, the Mahawelli Ganga river thun- 
ders in its rocky bed. The small lake by the side of which 
part of the city is built lends a charming repose and fresh- 
ness to the scene, which is mirrored in its waters. Wherever 
the eye is turned rise mountain tops, some bare masses of 
rock, others clothed with vegetation. There is no idea of a 



INDIA AND HEE NEIGHBOES. 257 

town or of a 'city ' to be realized in what one sees: it is all 
suburb— verandahed pavilions and bungalows stretching in 
lines bearing the names of streets; here and there the native 
houses packed more closely may be termed lanes; but the 
whole place is as diffused as Balham, or Clapham, or any 
o£her rural quarter of the great Metropolis. Kandy was 
once a stronghold of kings; but it was not till the end of the 
sixteenth century that it became the capital. When that 
dignity was conferred on the city, it was forbidden to the 
common people to have windows, or white walls or tiles to 
their houses, as these were luxuries for royal use alone. _ Pub- 
lic buildings, properly so called, there are none; but in hen 
of these was one of the most picturesque crowds ever seen." 

The English capital, Colombo, is a flourishing town on the 
western coast. Point de Galle, at the extreme southwest, has 
a large though rocky harbor, and is still the m^eeting place 
for mail-steamers plying between Suez and the far East. The 
pearl fishery in the Gl-ulf of Manar, still employs a good many 
divers during the season, which is of short duration, com- 
mencing towards the end of February, and terminating early 
in April. Colombo, although a rising town and the chief 
port of the island, is an open roadstead always difficult of 
access, and the last act of the Prince of Wales before leaving 
Ceylon was to lay the foundation stone of a breakwater. 

'" The undertaking is a great one, and worthy of all suc- 
cess, and the breakers which thundered close at hand spoke 
very eloquently of the necessity of such a work, which will 
illustrate the administration of Sir W. H. Gregory,"* the 
then governor, leaving at the same time a fitting and lasting 
memorial of the prince's visit. | 

Having thus glanced at the past and present of India, and 
of the nations which surround her, or influence her fortunes, 
the author concludes with the hope that he may have in some 
degree excited an additional interest in our great Eastern 
Empire, and with the sincere wish that its inhabitants may 
realize to the fullest extent the beneficent desires conveyed in 
the grand and simple words of the queen, addressed in 1858 

* Russell's " Tour of the Prince of Wales." 

+ Cevlon. *' Area 24,454 square miles. 

' Population 2,138,884-1870. 

Revenue £1,375,888 ) -iQ7fi »+ 

Expenditure £1,276,930 [ ^^^''' + 

X " Statesmen's Year Book," for 1876. 



S58 INDIA AKB HER KEIGHBORS. 

to her people in India: ^'It is Our earnest desire to 

STIMULATE THE PEACEFUL INDUSTRY OF InDIA, TO PROMOTE 
WORKS OF PUBLIC UTILITY AND IMPROVEMENT, AND TO AD- 
MINISTER THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL OUR 
SUBJECTS RESIDENT THEREIN. In THEIR PROSPERITY WILL 

BE Our strength, in their contentment Our security, 

AND IN their gratitude OuR BEST REWARD. AnD MAY 

THE God of all powers grant to Us, and to those in 

AUTHORITY UNDER Us, STRENGTH TO CARRY OUT THESE OUR 
wishes FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE." 



•"■ « »> aff 




APPEKDIX. 



f ' ' ,'. ' ' '' 



APPENDIX A. 
LIFE IN THE JUNGLE. 

MOONDIA GHAUT THE PARADISE OF SPORTSMEN. 

A CORRESPONDENT, says The Timesj who has resided and hunted in the district, 
Writes to us: 

*' Moondia Ghaut is the place whence the telegrams relating the sporting advent- 
ures of the Prince of Wales have recently been despatched. No doubt many have 
searched for it unsuccessfully on the map, so a short account of its position and 
physical characteristics may not be without interest. The word ' ghaut,' or ' ghat,' 
bears several analogous meamngs. We daily hear it applied to the scarped and 
terraced hills overlooking Bombay and the Concan. The bathers' ghaut, or flight of 
steps at Benares or Hurdwar, is familiar to every reader of Indiqoi travels. So 
hereafter Moondia Ghaut, or ford, will be remembered as the spot selected as the 
headquarters of the prince's sporting excursion in India. 

'"It is the sport of kings,' was the remark made by a distinguished officer, 
brother to one of the prince's most trusted companions, as we put our elephants in 
line, to beat from the httle river Choka to Moondia Ghaut, one brilliant October 
morning twelve years ago. The sport of kings ! Little thought we then how his 
words would be verified !— how the pathless plain over which the line slowly but 
irresistibly swept would become historic, as the meeting place of the heir to the 
British Empire, and the ruler of proud Nepaul. 

"Moondia Ghaut is the name of a ford over the Sarda, a river of which the left 
bank belongs to Nepaul, and the right bank to the province of Kohilkund. The 
territory opposite the Ghaut, and for many miles to the eastward, along the foot 
of the lower ranges of the Himalayas, was conferred upon Nepaul by Lord Can- 
ning, after the Mutiny, in reward for the assistance given by the Goorkhas to our 
arms at Lucknow and elsewhere. The policy of that step has been warmly de- 
bated, but it would seem discourteous to raise the discussion at a time when the 
prince has been enjoying the unique hospitality of what may be called the Goorkhn 
State, on the very ground in question. 

*' Even after the session of the Nepaulese Terai, the actual boundary was long 
in dispute, and it was during the determination of the boundary question that we 
first had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with this paradise of sportsmen. 

" Moondia Ghaut, till about ten years ago, was included in a district of Shahje- 
hanpore but it was then transferred to PhilUbeet, a sub-magistracy connected 
with Bareilly. The Ghaut lies seventy or eighty miles to the north of Shahjehan- 
pore, and only about thirty miles northeast of Phillibeet. 

" For a considerable part of the year the vicinity of Moondia Ghaut is almost de- 
serted. Lying as it does in the heart of the Terai, a district notorious for malaria, 
it is only habitable in the cold season. From the end of November till the middle 
of March, not only is there no danger of fever, but the climate is most enjoyable. 



APPENDIX. 263 

After March till the rains commence, the atmosphere in the Terai is very hot and 
muggy, but at that season the danger to health lies in the temptations to inju- 
dicious exposure to the sun, rather than in any miasma peculiar to the locality. 
From the beginning of the rains till some time after they have ceased, residence 
in the Terai is fatal topmost constitutions. Englishmen, hill-men, and Hindustanees 
alike flee. The villagers of the Phillibeet district speak of even the very southern 
fringe of the Terai with bated breath, and call it Mar, or Death. Not a soul re- 
mains save the Taroos (so called^from their being the inhabitants of the Terai), 
a distinct race, squalid, feeble and timid, but singularly truthful, which has strug- 
gled on for ages against adverse physical influences. It is wonderful that they 
should live where all others die. They seem to use no special prophylactics 
against illness, but rather to have inherited from their ancestors comparatively 
fever-proof constitutions Many fall victims to wild beasts. They have, indeed, 
little wherewith to protect themselves, except the voice, on which they place great 
reliance. It is often impossible to induce a Taroo to go alone through his native 
wilds, though he will start readily enough if lie has a companion. They do not 
seem to care about being in close proximity to one another. As long as they can 
give an occasional halloo, and hear the answer faintly resounding through the 
giant tree trunks, they are satisfied. Their dislike to solitary' journeying is, how- 
ever, attributable as much to horror of evil spirits as to fear of bear or tiger, 

" l.^o the sportsman and naturalist, if not to the statesman and administrator, 
the abundance, the bewildering variety of animal life, amply compensate for the 
deficiency of population. 

"You have never killed a crocodile? Well, there are a dozen lying on that sand- 
bank, and you can have your pick if you hold straight. I would not try the larg- 
est of all, he is lying directly end on, and at this angle the bullet would glance. 
Take the third from the left. He is very nearly as large, and you can clearly see 
the patch of pale, soft skin just behind the foreleg. Put your bullet right in the 
middle of that patch, and he will never move again. You cannot get near enough 
to him, or sufiBciently above him, to shoot him through the brain. If he once 
wriggles into the water you will lose him, though his carcass may, perhaps, be 
picked up ten miles down the river. 

" Are you a fisherman? Just below the throat of that rapid, where you see that 
naked dusky imp holystoning a prostrate elephant in the shallow water, you are 
sure to hook a mahseer before breakfast. If he will not take a fly, you can try a 
phantom minnow or a live bait. Be sure that your tackle is strong and your line 
long, for you never can tell how far a big one will go in his first rush, though he 
is apt to sulk afterwards. They are not as large here as in the Ganges or the 
Jhelum, but we shall expect some steaks for breakfast from the tail of a twenty 
pounder at least. 

"Are you eager to slay the brindled monarch of the forest? Hark! Did you 
hear that dull, grunting roar on the river bank? Pshaw! Merely some wretched 
buffalo moaning for her calf. Again ! Listen ! A hundred yards further up the 
river. No I There is a vibration in that sound once heard never forgotten. Low 
and distant though it be, yet it seems to thrill the very ground beneath your feet. 
Don't you notice how the mumbling conversation of the camp is suddenly hushed ? 
All are listening. I hear a Dhumraer mutter outside the tent, ' Sher bolta, kat 
zacur milega.' There is a tiger calling; we are sure to get him to-morrow. 

"The Sarda emerges from the Himalayas at Burrumdeo. Moondia Ghaut is 
about twenty-five miles to the south of that place. From the debouchure at Bur- 
rumdeo down to Moondia Ghaut, the Sarda is a bright, sparkling, merry mountain 
stream, often broken into two or three channels. It flows through grassy glades 



264 APPENDIX. 

and emerald sisoo forests, swells here over deep sunken rocks, and there forms a 
tail below a shoal of glittering gravel, which makes the fisherman's eye glisten as 
it recalls to memory happy days on the Spey or the Findhorn. But here and there 
a backwater, still as death, runs back far into a ghastly swamp, where the water 
is never rippled, save by the silent plunge of the weird snake-bird, or the stealthy 
waddle of a gorged alligator. Huge ungainly fish and bloated carrion turtle glide 
far below the surface, round the skeleton roots of bleached and barkless trees, a 
phantom forest hchen-shrouded. On the stark framework of bonelike branches 
sits motionless the gaping, lock- jawed cormorant, with half -spread, stiffened wings 
—a living parody of taxidermy; or the foul vulture, its livid neck smothered in 
fluffy feathers, like some shapeless Caffre kaross, the only sign of life a dull, de- 
ceitful eye. On a dead willow, stretching far over the inky pool, lies twined a 
python, limp, semi-rotten. The head is gone; the muscles of the neck, blanched 
and torn into strings, are hanging a few inches above the water, jagged by resist- 
ance to the tugiof the turtle teeth. Here and there the scales have separated, and 
the glairy, sodden skin hangs flabby and ruptured. Can you believe that you are 
within earshot of a babbhng, rattling mountain torrent, on whose floods the 
mightiest tree trunks are but as straws; a torrent irresistible, ever living, ever 
fitful? A few miles below Moondia Ghaut the river loses its rocky and rapid char- 
acter, and rolls slow and turbid through fulvous, unvarying plains. 

" It is a few minutes before sunrise, and the bank overhanging the river at this 
spot faces nearly northeast. Below there is the river bed, perhaps 300 yards 
broad, but the water does not cover the whole of it. The largest channel is just 
below our feet, and there is another considerable stream under the opposite bank, 
while two or three smaller rivule:s ripple over beds of shingle, or flow silently 
under the ephemeral banks of crumbling islets. On yon dry sandbank lies a 
mighty tree, in shape uninjured, but ever and anon a light, flickering tongue of 
flame shoots up through some minute crevice in the bark, or a filmy curl of smoke 
wreaths itself into nothingness in the still, chill air. That tree is hollow from end 
to end, the core eaten out by a moldering fire. For weeks trunk and branches 
have been charring internally under its ravages, though the traces of destruction 
are scarcely visible. A few days more — a puflf of strong, cold wind from the 
mountains— and that mighty shell— trunk, root and branch— will gradually sink 
away, with a dull crash, into a mere heap of white ashes outlined on the golden 
sand. 

" Nor are these tiny gray ripples the only signs of fire which add still life to the 
landscape. On the right, where the crowded promontory juts out into the river, 
you can see the lurid furnaces of the rust-colored catechu- burners. Here and 
there along the distant bank a faint column of smoke betrays where the gold- 
washers are pursuing their miserable avocation. Immediately opposite, signs of 
matutinal cookery taper upwards far above the low acacia trees, in which the huts 
of the Nepaulese outposts nestle, and far away to the north and east, faint, gauzy 
lines are traced on the high hills. At this distance they look like mere floating, 
fading films of mist. In truth they are the evidence of forest fires involving the 
vegetation of whole mountain sides in one common destruction. 

" By what a curious perversion of language Anglo-Indians speak of those mount- 
ains as ' the hills. ' Do you realize that those peaks which the sun is just illum- 
ining with the brightest, most glittering gold, are the virgin summits of some of 
the highest mountains on the globe? Look at the isolated pyiamid of Nunda 
Devi I Watch the bright sunbeams kissing successively the three points of the 
trident of Trisul. Enough I You will see no more sunlight effects until the beams 
light up that black thunder-cloud at the foot of the mountains with dazzling fringe. 



For at least 100 miles over many a sleeping valley and many a haughty range, a 
dark vail of mist clouds the lesser mountains. From the gleaming snow-peaks, 
which are already fast changing from gold to silver, righc down to that serrated 
line of gigantic pines which bristle on the crest of the nearest chain, there is noth- 
ing but a lava-like sea of the densest fog. Here and there you can see it slowly 
swirling out of the transvere ravines in huge burly masses, almost down to the 
level of the Terai itself. Every valley under that stupendous pall is still in dark- 
ness. Were you standing on a lofty peak jutting up through the mist, you would 
fancy yourself in some glassy ocean, studded with wooded reefs and atolls, a sail- 
less silvern archip<^]ago, fit foreground for the home of eternal snow, the holy 

Himalaya. , , ^r. ,, i 

" Even in the winter an Indian sun soon makes itself felt, and though the whole 
orb has scarcely freed itself from the eastern hills, there is a perceptible change 
in the temperature, and a flickering breeze wafts the tinkling of many bells along 
the river bank. From a sandy ravine, half hidden in billowy grags, with long and 
stately tread, comes the lord of a hundred herds, a milk-white Gujerati bull, of 
height and girth enormous, with satin skin and gentle eyes that almost cause one 
to sympathize with a Sikh's rehgious feelings, and forswear beef forever. On his 
head a fillet of cowrie shells, on his brawny chest a flattened bell, and on his back, 
behind the vast hump, half drooping with its own weight, a Banjara baby boy clad 
in his mother's favorite colors of blue and crimson, and so laden with jewels that 
of skin you can see little but a nut-brown face, hghted up by two sparkling, won- 
dering black eyes and ten chubby little fingers, of which five are twined lovingly 
in the loose skin of his giant steed. No load ever desecrates the broad back of this 
majestic bull save this child, the hope of the wandering Banjara tribe, and perhaps 
occasionally his mother, though rarely does her proud and Ussome form acknowl- 
edge fatigue. 

"Behind the bull the herd-and what a herdl-a long, fan-shaped, surging mass, 
of which the rear is completely concealed by dust; cattle of every shape and color, 
of every age and every condition. No struggling, jostling Smithfield crowd. With 
solemn, peaceful step, 2,000 bead debouch upon the strand, and slake their thirst 
among the shallows. And this herd is only a drop in the ocean compared to the 
number of horned cattle that annually depasture the Terai. From the fertile 
plains of Oude, from the arid wastes of Allyghur or Ghourgaon, from the far-off 
eyries of the Kymore hills, pour annually countless myriads of half -starved quad- 
rupeds, to revel in the succulent herbage of the great northern jungles." 






2Cj6 appekdix. 



APPENDIX B. 
SCINDIAH, A GENERAL IN THE BRITISH ARMY. 

That the descendant of Eanojee Sindia should be a British general, must seem 
very strange to the class of old Indians who only remember old India. The story 
of the rise of the slipper-bearer of the Peishwa, who became one of the most fa- 
mous of Mahratta chiefs, has been discredited by recent writers; but there can be 
no doubt that before 1725 very little was known of Ranojee, and that, at the best, 
his family belonged to the Chumbi, or cultivator class.* But these were fine times 
for daring men, and the Mahratta sword was busy cutting shces off the empire of 
the Mogul, and carving them into kingdoms. When Ranojee died in 1750, he had 
founded a dynasty. His legitimate sons did not succeed ; but Madha jee, an ille- 
gitimate son, by craft as much as by courage, established himself in such a po- 
sition that he became the master of the Peishwa, and restored Shah Alum to his 
throne in Delhi. He it was who inflicted one of the greatest blows and most bitter 
disgrace ever endured by a British force in India, at Wargaum, baffled Goddard's 
attempt to force him to give battle by masterly manoeuvres, and, forcing him to 
seek the seaboard, secured at his leisure a large part of Central India. In a sub- 
sequent campaign he forced Carnac to retreat, and ratified a treaty with the Brit- 
ish, by which he was recognized as an independent prince, secured all Gwalior ex- 
cept the fortress, and bound us to recross the Jumna. His usurpation at Delhi, 
with which we did not interfere, was one of the boldest acts of his extraordinary 
career. He was neutral in our first war with Tippoo. Finding we were too busily 
engaged to interfere with his ambitious projects, he conceived the idea of becom- 
ing master of the Peishwa himself, and of establishing himself at Poona, but he 
died just as he was about to realize his magnificent conception, which would have 
brought him into colUsion with our growing power, under circumstances which 
would place the greatest strain on all our resources and power. The confiict came 
when we were able to dictate terms, and well for our rule was it that Lord Ellen- 
borough, in 1844, rose superior to the instincts of conquest and annexation, for it 
was the gratitude and attachment of the present ruler of Gwalior which, in 1857, 
exercised a most potent influence on the course of the insurrection. His fidelity 
can only be appreciated at its true value by those familiar, not so much with the 
facts as with the local color, and all the material incidents of the crisis. He had 
been well rewarded, and now there is an increment to his honors, but we fear he 

* Ranojee was Pateil, beadle or headman of his village, and the designation of 
Pateil was greatly affected by his descendant, Madojee, in the plenitude of his 
power. 



APPEKDIX. SG'f 

would freely give tip ribbons, medal, uniform, army rank and all, for that rock 
from which British sentries look down on his city, and British guns point at his 
palace. Above all things, however, he is fond of soldiering, and when the Prince 
of Wales asked him to ride down the line at the Delhi Review, it was said that the 
act was worth a million of money. Scindiah was once a splendid horseman — now 
he has lost his nerve. His manners are uncouth, his voice harsh and vulgar, but 
he has a fine eye, and a very earnest, honest look, nor has he any power of dissimu- 
lation. Therefore, we should like to know how he received his appointment. The 
other general is a man of very different type. He is essentially of a British-made 
dynasty, but it is said that he rules his people with much severity, and that, seat 
of pleasure as it is. Cashmere is inhabited by a very wretched population. It 
would be very interesting to learn what the new officers think of their honors.— 
Army and Navy Gazette. 

m 



S6g APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX 0. 

EXTRACTS FROM TREATIES BETWEEN THE EAST INDIA 
COMPANY AND THE NIZAM OF HYDERABAD, AND 
BETWEEN THE QUEEN OFENGLAND%ND THE NIZAM. 

Extract from a Treaty between the East India Company and the Nizam, dated 

the 21st May, 1853. {See Aitchison's " Treaties, Engagements and Sunnuds," vol. 

v., pages 104, 105.) 

Article 6. 

For the purpose of providing the regular monthly payment to the said contin- 
gent troops, and payment of Appa Dessaye's chout, and the allowances to Mohiput 
Ram's family, and to certain Mahratta pensioners, as guaranteed in the 10th Arti- 
cle of the Treaty of 1822, and also for payment of the interest, at six per cent, per 
annum, of the debt due to the honorable company, so long as the principal of that 
debt shall remain unpaid, which debt now amounts to about fifty lakhs of Hyder- 
abad rupees, the Nizam hereby agrees to assign the districts mentioned in the ac- 
companying schedule, marked A, yielding an annual gross revenue of about fifty 
lakhs of rupees, to the exclusive management of the British Resident, for the time 
being, at Hyderabad, and to such other ofiBcers, acting: under his orders, as may 
from time to time be appointed by the government of India to the charge of those 
districts. 

Article 8. 
The districts mentioned in Schedule A are to be transferred to Colonel Low, 
C. B., the Resident, immediately that the ratified treaty shall be received from 
Calcutta; and that oflflcer engages on the part of the British government that the 
Resident at the Court of Hyderabad, for the time being, shall always render true 
and faithful accounts every year to the Nizam, of the receipts and disbursements 
connected with the said districts, and make over any surplus revenue that may 
exist to his highness, after the payment of the contingent and the other items de- 
tailed in Article 6 of this Treaty. 



Extract from a Supplemental Treaty between Her Majesty the Queen of Great 
Britain and the Nizam, ratified by Lord Canning on the 31st day of December, 
1860. {See Aitchison's " Treaties, &c.," vol. v., pages 115 and 116). 

Article 2. 

The Viceroy and Governor-General, in council, cedes to His Highness the Nizam, 
in full sovereignty, the territory of Shorapore, 



APPEKDIX. 269 

Article 3. 

The debt of about fifty (50) lakhs of Hyderabad rupees, due by the Nizam to the 
British government is hereby cancelled. 

Article 4. 

His Highness the Nizam agrees to forego all demand for an account of the re- 
ceipts and expenditure of the assigned districts, for the past, present, or future. 
But the British government will pay to his highness any surplus that may here- 
after accrue, after defraying all charges under Article 6, and all future expenses 
of administration, the amount of such expenses being entirely at the discretion of 
the British government. 

Article 5. 

The Viceroy and Governor General, in council, restores to His Highness the 
Nizam, all the assigned districts in ihe Raichore Doab, and on the western frontier 
of the dominions of his highness, adjoining the Collectorage of Ahmednuggur and 
Sholapore. 

Article 6. 
The districts in Berar already assigned to the British government, under the 
Treaty of 1853, together with all the Surfi-khas talooks comprised therein, and 
such additional districts adjoining thereto as will suffice to make up a present an- 
nual gross revenue of thirty-two (32) lakhs of rupees, currency of the British gov- 
ernment, shall be held by the British government in trust for the payment of the 
troops of the Hyderabad Contingent, Appa Dessaye's chout, the allowance to 
Mohiput Ram's family, and certain pensions mentioned in Article 6 of the said 
treaty. 

Article 7. 
The Surf-i-khas talooks and additional districts, mentioned in the foregoing arti- 
cle, are to be transferred to the Resident as soon as this Treaty is ratified. 



270 APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX D. 

DEATH OF PRINCESS KISHNA, THE FLOWER OF RAJA8T'- 
HAN, TO SAVE HER COUNTRY FROM CIVIL WAR. 

KiSHNA KoMABi Bae, the " Vii'gin Princess Kishna," was in her sixteenth year: 
her mother was of the Chawura race, the ancient kings of Anhulwara. Sprung 
from the noblest blood of Hind, she added beauty of face and person to an en- 
gaging demeanor, and was justly proclaimed the " Flower of Rajast'han," When 
the Roman father pierced the bosom of the dishonored Virginia, appeased virtue 
applauded the deed. When Iphigenia was led to the sacrificial altar, the salvation 
of her country yielded a noble consolation. The votive victim of Jephtha's suc- 
cess had the triumph of a father's fame to sustain her resignation, and- in the 
meekness of her sufferings we have the best parallel to the sacrifice of the lovely 
Kishna: though years have passed since the barbarous immolation, it is never re- 
lated but with a faltering tongue and moistened eyes, "albeit unused to the melt- 
ing mood." 

The rapacious and bloodthirsty Pat'han, covered with infamy, repaired to Oodi- 
poor, where he was joined by the pliant and subtle Ajit. Meek in his demeanor, 
unostentatious in his habits, despising honors, yet covetous of power— religion— 
which he followed with the zeal of an ascetic, if it did not serve as a cloak, was at 
least no hindrance to an immeasurable ambition, in the attainment of which he 
would have sacrificed all but himself. When the Pat'han revealed his design- 
that either the princess should wed Raja Maun, or by her death seal the peace of 
Rajwarra— whatever arguments were used to point the alternative— the Ranarwas 
made to see no choice between consigning his beloved child to the Rahtore prince, 
or witnessing the effects of a more extended dishonor from the vengeance of the 
Pat'han, and the storm of his palace by his Ucentious adherents. The fiat passed 
that Kishna Komari should die. 

But the deed was left for women to accomplish— the hand of man refused it. The 
Rawula* of an eastern prince is a world within itself; it is the labyrinth containing 
the strings that move the puppets which alarm mankind. Here intrigue sits en- 
throned, and hence its influence radiates to the world, always at a loss to trace ef- 
fects to their causes. Maharaja Dowlut Sing, descended four generations ago 
from one common ancestor with the Rana, was first sounded "to save the honor 
of Oodipoor;" but, horror-struck, he exclaimed, "Accursed the tongue that com- 
mands it! Dust on my allegiance, if thus to be preserved!" The Maharaja 
Jowandas, a natural brother, was then called upon ; the dire necessity was ex- 
plained, and it was urged that no common hand could be armed for the purpose. 
He accepted the poniard, but when, in youthful loveliness, Kishna appeared be- 
fore him, the dagger fell from his hand, and he returned more wretched than the 

* Harem. 



APPEi^DIX. 271 

victim. The fatal purpose thus revealed, the shrieks of the frantic mother rever- 
berated through the palace, as she implored mercy, or execrated the murderers of 
her child, who alone was resigned to her fate. But death was arrested, not 
averted. To use the phrase of the narrator, " She was excused the steel — the cup 
was prepared," and prepared by female hands I As the messenger presented it in 
the name of her father, she bowed and drank it, sending up a prayer for his Ufa 
and prosperity. The raving mother poured imprecations on his head, while the 
lovely victim, who shed not a tear, thus endeavored to console her: " Why afllict 
yourself, my mother, at this shortening of the sorrows of life? I fear not to die. 
Am I not your daughter? Why should I fear death? We are marked out for sac- 
rifice* from our birth ; we scarcely enter the world but to be sent out again. Let 
me thank my father that I have lived so long!" t Thus she conversed till the nau 
seating draught refused to assimilate with her blood. Again the bitter potion 
was prepared. She drained it off, and again it was rejected; but, as if to try the 
extreme of human fortitude, a third was administered ; and for the third time 
nature refused to aid the horrid purpose. It seemed as if the fabled charm, which 
guarded the life of the founder of her race, was inherited by the Virgin Kishna 
But the bloodhounds, the Pat'han, and Ajit were impatient till their victim was 
at rest; and cruelty, as if gathering strength from defeat, made another and a 
fatal attempt. A powerful opiate was presented— ^Ae Kasooniba draught.X She 
received it with a smile, wished the scene over, and drank it. The desires of 
barbarity were accomplished. "She slept !"§ a sleep from which she never 
awoke. 

The wretched mother did not long survive her child; nature was exhausted. In 
the ravings of despair she refused food, and her remains in a few days followed 
those of her daughter to the funeral pyre. 

Even the ferocious Khan, when the instrument of his infamy, Ajit, reported the 
issue, received him with contempt, and spurned him from his presence, tauntingly 
asking " if this were the boasted Rajpoot valor?" But the wily traitor liad to en- 

* Alluding to the custom of infanticide— here very rare. ****** 
t With my mind engrossed with the scenes in which I had passed the better part 
of my life, I we"it two months after my return from Rajpootana, in 1823, to York 
Cathedral, to attend the memorable festival of that year. The sublime recita- 
tions of Handel in "Jephtha's Vow," the sonorous woe of Sapios' "Deeper and 
deeper still,' ' powerfully recalled the sad exit of the Rajpootani ; and the repre* 
sentatioc shortly after of Racine's tragedy of " Iphigenie," with Talma as Achille, 
Duchesnois as Clytemnestra, and a very interesting impersonation of the victim 
daughter of Agamemnon, again served to waken the remembrance of this sacri- 
fice. The following passage, embodying not only the sentiments, but couched in 
the precise language in which the " Virgin Kishna " addressed her father— proving 
>liat human nature has but one mode of expression for the same feeUngs— I am 
tempted to transcribe: 

" Mon pere, 

Cessez de vous troubler, vous n'etes point trahi. 
Quand vous commanderez, vous serez obei: 
Ma vie est votre bien. Vous voulez le reprendre, 
Vos ordres, sans detour, pouvaient se faire entendre; 
D'un oeil aussi content, d'un coeur aussi soumis. 
Que j'acceptais I'epoux que nous m'aviez promis, 
Je saurai, s'il faut, victime obeissante 
Tendre au fer de Calchas une tete innocente; 
Et respectant le coup par vous-meme ordonne. 
Nous rendre tout le sang que vous m'avez donne." 

X The Kasoomba draught is made of flowers and herbs of a cooling quality: into 
this an opiate was introduced. 

§ The simple but powerful expression of the nan^ator. 



272 APPEi^DIX. 

counter language far more bitter from his political adversary, whom he detested. 
Sangram Suktawut reached the capital only four days after the catastrophe— a 
man in every respect the reverse of Ajit— audaciously brave, he neither feared the 
frown of the sovereign nor the sword of his enemy. Without introduction he 
rushed into the presence, where he found seated the traitor Ajit. " Oh, dastard I 
who has thrown dust on the Seesodia race, whose blood, which has flowed in 
purity through a hundred ages, has now been defiled 1 This sin will check its 
course forever; a blot so foul in our annals, that no Seesodia will ever again hold 
up his head 1 A sin to which no punishment were equal. But the end of our race 
is approaching 1 The line of Bappa Rawul is at an end I Heaven has ordained this 
a signal of our destruction." The Rana hid his face with his hands, when, turning 
to Ajit, he exclaimed, " Thou stain on the Seesodia race! thou impure of Rajpoot 
blood, dust be on thy head, as thou hast covered us all with shame. May you die 
childless, and your name die with youl Why this indecent haste? Had the Pat'han 
stormed the city? Had he attempted to violate the sanctity of the Rawula? And, 
though he had, could you not die as Rajpoots, hke your ancestors? Was ic thus 
they gained a name? Was it thus our race became renowned— thus they opposed 
the might of kings? Have you forgotten the Sakas of Cheetore? But whom do I 
address— not Rajpoots? Had the honor of your females been endangered— had 
you sacrificed them all and rushed sword in hand on the enemy, your name would 
have lived, and the Almighty would have secured the seed of Bappa Rawul. But 
to owe preservation i,o this unhallowed deed ! You did not even await the threat- 
ened danger. Fear seems to have deprived you of every faculty, or you might 
have spared the blood of Sreejee, and, if you did not scorn to owe your safety to 
deception, might have substituted some less noble victim I But the end of our 
race approaches!" 

The traitor to jnanhood, his sovereign, and humanity durst not reply. The 
brave Sangram is now dead, but the prophetic anathema has been fulfilled. Of 
ninety-five children, sons and daughters, but one son {the brother of Kishnd) is left 
to the Rana; and though his two remaining daughters have been recently mar- 
ried to the princes of Jessulmer and Bikaner, the SaUc law, which is , in full force 
in these States, precludes aU honor through female descent. His hopes rest solely 
on the prince, Juvana Sing, and though in the flower of youth and health, the mar- 
riage-bed (albeit boasting no less than four young princesses) has been blessed 
with no progeny. 

The elder brother of Juvana died two years ago. Had he lived, he would have 
been Umra the Third. With regard to Ajit, the curse has been fally accomphshed. 
Scarcely a month after, his wife and two sons were numbered with the dead; and 
the hoary traitor has since been wandering from shrine to shrine, performing pen- 
ance and alms in expiation of his sins, yet unable to fling from him ambition; and 
with his beads in one hand, Bama ! Rama ! ever on his tongue, and subdued pas- 
sion in his looks, his heart is decei^^f ul as ever. Enough of him: let us exclaim 
with Sangram, " Dust on his head,'" which all the waters of the Ganges could not 
purify from the blood of the virgin Kishna.— Toco's Bajasfhan. 



APPEiq^DIX. 273 



APPENDIX E. 

THE EUPHRATES AND INDUS ROUTE TO CENTRAL ASIA. 

Deputation to Viscount Palmerston, K. G., on 22n<J June, 1857— Letter from W. 
P. Andrew, Esq., to the Right Hon. Viscount Palmerston, K. G., June 30th, 
1857— Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Eu- 
phrates Valley Railway, 22nd July, 1872 (Extracts)— Letter from the Under 
Secretary of State for India to Mr. Andrew, regarding the completion of the 
Indus Valley State Railway, 15th March, 1877. 

A deputation, In favor of the British government granting pecuniary support to 
the Euphrates Valley Railway, had an interview with Viscount Palmerston, 22nd 
of June, 1877. 

The deputation consisted of the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr. Andrew (Chairman of 
the Euphrates Valley Railway), Mr. P. Anstruther, Mr. W. F. Ainsworth, Sir F. L. 
Arthur, Bart., Mr. A. F. Bellasis, Sir W. Colebrooke, C. B., the Earl of Chichester, 
the Earl of Carnarvon, MajorGeneral Chesney, R. A., Mr. F. Ellis, M. P., Mr. Est- 
court Sotheron, M. P., the Hon. J. C. Erskine, Mr. A. S. Finlay, M. P., Lord God- 
erich, Mr. H. Gladstone, Mr. W. Hutt, M. P., Mr. Thomas Headlam, M. P., Mr. T. 
B. Horsfall, M. P., Col. Harvey, M. T. K. Lynch, Mr. John Laird, Mr. Macgregor 
Laird, Mr. James Merry, M. P., Sir H. Maddock, Major Mo'ore, Sir D. Norreys, M, 
P., Colonel W. Pinney, M. P., Mr. F. W. Russell, M, P., Sir Justin Shiel, K. C. B., 
Count Strylecki, Col. Steinbach, Gen. Sabine, Lord Talbot de Malahide, the Lord 
Mayor (Mr. Alderman Finnis), Mr. Matthew Uzielli, Mr. W. Vansittart, M. P., Sir 
W. F. Williams, of Kars, Mr. A. Denoon, Mr. L. W. Raeburn, Mr. Wi(;kham, M. P., 
Hon. A. Kinnaird, M. P., Mr. Arthur Otway, the Earl of Albemarle, Lord Ashley, 
Mr. Thomas Alcock, M. P., Mr. J. E. Anderdon, Viscount Bangor, Mr, W. Bu- 
chanan, M. P., Mr. F. B. Beamish, M. P., Mr. G. Bowyer, M. P., Dr. Boyd, M. P., 
Major C. Bruce, M. P., Lord Colchester, Lord Cloncurry, Lord Cremorne, Lord R. 
CUnton, Sir Edw. Colebroke, M. P., the Hon. H. Cole, M. P., Mr. R. W. Crawford, 
Alderman Copeland, M. P., the Bishop of Durham, Lord Dufferin, the Earl of 
Donoughmore, Mr. R. Davison, M. P., Colonel Dunne, M. P., Sir James Duke, M. 
P.. the Earl of Enniskillen, Earl of Erne, Lord Elcho, Sir De Lacy Evans, M. P., 
Mr. J. C. Ewart, M. P., Sir J. Elphinstone, M. P„ Mr. W. Fagan, M. P., Sir R. Fer- 
guson, M. P., Sir G. Foster, M. P., Mr. C. Fortescue, M. P., Mr. F. French, M. P., 
Lord Robert Grosvenor, M. P., Mr. E. Grogan, M. P., Mr. S, Gregson, M. P., Mr. G. 
Hamilton, M. P., Mr. J. H. Hamilton, M. P., Colonel Harvey, Mr. A. Hastie, M. P., 
Mr. H. Ingram, M. P., Mr. W. Kirk, M. P., Mr. T. Longman, Lord Monteagle, the 
Earl of Mayo, Mr. J. R. Mowbray, M. P., Mr. R. Monckton Milnes, M. P., Sir John 
Macneill. Mr. H. A. Mackinnon, Sir Roderick Murchison, Mr. G. Macartney, M. P., 
Mr. J. M'Cann, M. P., Mr. J. M'CUntock, M. P., Mr. M'Evoy, M. P., Mr, P. W. Mar- 



274 APPENDIX. 

tin, Mr. C. W. Martin, Mr. G, G. M'Pherson, Mr. F. North, M. P., Colonel North, 
M. P., the Right Hon. J. Napier, M. P., Mr. C. Newdegate, M. P., Sir George Pol- 
lock, G. C. B., Mr. J. Pritchard, M. P., the Earl of Roden, Lord Rossmore, Lord 
Stanley, Lord Landon, the Bishop of St. David's, Mr. R. Slaney, Mr. W. Sowerby, 
Mr. A. Turner, M. P., Colonel Taylor, M. P., Mr. W. ToUemache, M. P., Sir H, 
Verney, Lord Wrottesley, Mr. Whiteside, M. P., Mr. Thos. Williams, Mr. J. A. 
Warre, M. P. 

Lord Shaftesbury introduced the deputation to Lord Palmerston, and pointed 
out, in forcible language, the vast importance to this country of securing an alter- 
native route to India, and the great interest generally felt throughout the country 
in this great undertaking, so calculated to promote commerce, civilization, and 
Christianity, and stated that Mr. Andrew, the chairman of the company, would 
submit to his lordship more detailed information. 

Mr. Andrew, after expressing his regret for the unavoidable absence of Lord 
Stanley, said that for some years it had been considered a great national object to 
secure an alternative short route to India, but that recently the estabhshment of 
the route by the Euphrates had become more and more necessary, and more es- 
pecially since it had been determined to open up the Valley of the Indus by the 
application of steam. The great traffic which would pour down this valley from 
Central Asia and the Punjaub, once flowing towards Kurrachee, would naturally 
seek an outlet by the sister valley of the Euphrates, at least the lighter and more 
valuable products, as well as the mails and passengers; but the support of the 
government was not sought on commercial grounds. That support was sought 
alone on the ground of the political importance of this ancient line of communica- 
tion. The grand object was to connect England with the northwest frontier of 
India, by steam transit through the Euphrates and Indus valleys. The latter 
would render movable to either the Kyber or the Bolan, the two gates of India, the 
flower of the British army cantoned in the Punjaub; and the Euphrates and Indus 
lines being connected by means of steamers, we should be enabled to threaten the 
flank and rear of any force advancing through Persia towards India.* So that the 
invasion of India, by this great scheme, would be rendered practically impossible; 
AND IT WOULD BE EVIDENT THAT THE GREAT ARMY OF INDIA OF 
300,000 MEN BEING UNITED BY THIS MEANS TO THE ARMY IN ENGLAND, 
THE MUTUAL SUPPORT THEY WOULD RENDER EACH OTHER WOULD 
QUADRUPLE THE POWER AND ASCENDANCY OF THIS COUNTRY, AND 
PROMOTE POWERFULLY THE PROGRESS, THE FREEDOM, AND THE 
PEACE OF THE WORLD. The countries to be traversed were the richest and 
most ancient in the world, and might again become the granaries of Europe, and 
not only supply us with wheat, but with cotton of excellent quality, and his gallant 
friend, General Chesney, who had recently visited these regions, would tell them 
that there were hundreds of thousands of camel-loads of this valuable commodity 
rotting on the ground for want of the means of transport. Sir. W. F. WiUiams, 
of Kars, would tell thena there was no difficulty in dealing with the Arabs, if they 
were fairly treated. The lord mayor, who had had intimate commercial rela- 
tions with the East, and Mr. Lynch, of Bagdad, who had for many years traded 

* TWENTY YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE THE ABOVE REMARKS 
WERE MADE, AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? 

PRIVATE ENTERPRIZE HAS SUCCESSFULLY, BY A LINE OF STEAMERS, 
CONNECTED THE EUPHRATES AND INDUS. THE INDUS VALLEY RAIL- 
WAY. IN THE HANDS OF GOVERNMENT, IS NOT YET COMPLETED. SEE 
UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA'S LETTER, P. 282 OF THIS 
APPENDIX. THE BRANCH TO THE KYBER IS PROCEEDING SLOWLY, 
AND THAT TO THE BOLAN HAS NOT BEEN COMMENCED' 



APPEITDIX. . 275 

with the Arabs, would speak to the honesty and trustworthiness of the Arab. As 
to physical difficulty, there was none — the line had been surveyed and proved to 
be singularly easy. Her majesty's government had given their powerful influence 
and support in obtaining the firman and concession. They bad placed her majes- 
ty's ship, " Stromboli," at the disposal of General Chesney and Sir John Macneill, 
and the engineering staff; and Lord Stratford de Redcliffe had lent his powerful 
advocacy with the Porte. He (Mr. Andrew) was deeply grateful for the assistance 
thus far afforded them; but they had now arrived at the point when something 
more was absolutely necessary, and that was the pecuniary support of govern- 
ment, to enable the capital to be raised for the prosecution of the work. It was 
not a matter for private individuals to undertalte. If they wanted an investment 
for their funds, they would certainly not choose Turkish Arabia. The establish- 
ment of a steam route by the Euphrates had been placed before the public and 
the government. Many chambers of commerce and other infiuential associations 
had already memorialized the government in favor of granting pecuniary aid; and 
it was believed the country was anxious that this route should be carried oat by 
Englishmen, and it now rested with the government to say whether they concurred 
in the importance of the work, and if so, whether they would be prepared to 
recommend such an amount of pecuniary assistance, whether by guarantee or 
otherwise as would enable this, the most important undertaking ever submitted 
to their consideration, to be proceeded with. 

Sir W. F. Williams, of Kars, stated that during his long residence among the 
Arabs, he experienced no difficulty in dealing with them, or in procuring, during 
his excavations in Susa, any number of workmen he might require; and he also 
pointed out the great importance of the proposed harbor of Seleucia, as there was 
not a single good harbor on the Syrian coast. 

Count Strylecki briefiy addressed his lordship on the support of successive Turk- 
ish governments to the undertaking, viewing it as of incalculable political impor- 
tance to England, in relation to her Indian possessions. 

Mr. Finlay, M. P., speaking from personal acquaintance with the country to be 
traversed, dwelt on its great capacity for development, if only the means of trans- 
port were afforded. 

General Chesney gave full explanations regarding the harbor, as to its exact po- 
sition, capacity, &c. 

Sir Justin Shiel, late ambassador in Persia, dwelt on the political importance of 
the line, and said that it would shorten the distance to Kurrachee, the European 
port of India, by 1,400 miles. 

The Lord Mayor (Mr. Alderman Finnis) had had, through his agents, extensive 
commercial trailsactions with the Arabs, and had found them most reliable and 
honest; and he considered they were as much alive to their own interests as any 
other race, and would be in favor of the railway, because it would at once give 
them employment, and afford them an outlet for their produce. 

Mr Lynch, of Bagdad, from long residence, fully confirmed the lord mayor's 
views. 

Mr. Horsfall, M. P., assured Lord Palmerston that the undertaking was viewed 
with great interest in the manufacturing districts generally, and placed in his 
lordship's hands a memorial from the Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, pray- 
ing that the government would extend the necessary pecuniary aid to the Euphra- 
tes Valley Railway Company. * 

Lord Palmerston assured the deputation that the government were fully alive to 
the great importance of the Euphrates route, that they had supported, and would 
continue to support it; but he could not give aa opinion as to having the guaran- 



276 APPENDIX. 

tee on the capital without consulting his colleagues. He requested Mr. Andrew 
to put his proposition in writing, and said it should have a proper amount of con- 
sideration, and that government would be happy to aid it, if in their power. 

Mr. Andrew having thanked his loi-dship for the courteous reception accorded 
them, the deputation withdrew, much gratified by the manner in which they had 
been received.* 



Letter from TT. P. Andrew, Esq., to the Bight Hon. Viseoimt Pahnerston, K. G. 

London, June 30, 1857, 
My Lord— In compliance with the desire expressed by your lordship, when the 
deputation waited upon you on the 22d instant, in favor of a guaranteed rate of 
interest being granted by her majesty's government on a portion of the capital 
of the Euphrates Valley Railway Company, that a proposition should be sub- 
mitted in w^riting, I have now the honor to state for your lordship's consideration 
that the pecuniary support of government is sought on the following grounds: 

2. The establishment of a railway from the Mediterranean to the Pei'sian Gulf 
would have the effect of reducing the difference between this country and India 
by upwards of 1,000 miles, and the time to about fourteen days, or about half the 
period now occupied. 

3. It would be the means of consolidating the power of the Sultan in his Asiatic 
dominions. 

4. By means of this railway, taken in conjunction with the system of steam 
transit now being established along the valley of the Indus from Lahore to the 
sea at Kurrachee,t the large force stationed in the Punjaub would be rendered of 
incalculable importance by steamers uniting the line of the Indus with that of the 
Euphrates,t for in that case any hostile force advancing towards the Indus would 
not only be met on the line of that river, but would be threatened along the sea- 
board of the Persian Gulf and the line of the Euphrates flank and rear. 

5. The Indus and the Euphrates thus united, the dangerous isolation of Persia 
would be at an end, and a Russian invasion of India would cease even to be specu- 
lated upon. 

6. The first section of the line, from Seleucia to the Euphrates, has been sur- 
veyed by Major-General Chesney and Sir John Macneill, with an engineering staff, 
and has been reported as of easy construction. Copies of the reports of these 
able and scientific gentlemen are annexed for your lordship's information. 

7. The Turkish government undertake to commence simultaneously with the 
railway the construction of a harbor at the mouth of the Orontes, at the proposed 
terminus of the railway. 

8. The harbor has been surveyed by Sir John Macneill, with the assistance of 
the officers of her majesty's ship " Stromboli." Plans of the proposed works 
have been already submitted to the first lord of the admiralty, and they are 
now forwarded for your lordship's inspection. 

* Reprinted from The Times and Horning Herald, of the 23rd June, 1857. 

t Kurraehee is not only tlie port of the Indus and Central Asia, but from its 
geographical position and other advantages, appears destined to become the 
European port of India. 

X This has since been accomplished by the British India Steam Navigation Com- 
pany. The Indus Railway is still incomplete, 



APPEKDiX. S77 

9. There being no harbor on the coast of Syria, better than the open roadsteads 
of Beyrout, Jaffa, Tripoli, and Acre, or the pestilential harbor of Alexandretta, 
the importance of having a safe and commodious harbor will be apparent for 
political as well as commercial purposes. 

10. This harbor, connected by means of the railway with Bussorah at the head 
of the Persian Gulf, would give to England the first strategical position in the 
world. 

11. The resources of England being made promptly available on any emergency 
in the East, Chatham and Southampton would become the basis of operations, 
instead of Kurrachee or Bombay, and would enable this country to anticipate or 
repel, whether in Europe or Asia, any attack with the rapidity and advantages of 
an irresistible force. 

12. On an emergency in India, troops from England could be landed at Kurra- 
chee in three weeks, and in another week at Lahore by steam transit. 

13. The Euphrates Valley Eailway, in addition to its political advantages, would 
powerfully promote the commerce and civilization of the world at large, and that 
the commercial and manufacturing committees concur in these sentiments has 
been shown by the addresses lately submitted to your lordship. They are quite 
alive to the importance of obtaining cotton, wool, sugar, indigo, and other products 
from India and Mesopotamia, and the production, being effected by free labor, 
would of necessity tend to the extinction of slavery. 

14. Through the zealous exertions of Major-General Chesney, aided by the ad- 
vice and powerful support of Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, a concession was 
granted by the Turkish government in the early part of this year, guaranteeing a 
minimum rate of interest of 6 per cent, on the capital required for the first 
section from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, besides affording other privi- 
leges. 

15. But as these terms, from the state of the money-market and other causes, 
have neither been, nor are likely to be, sufficiently attractive to induce the British 
capitalist to embark his money in a distant enterprise, the deputation, of which I 
had the honor of being a member, waited upon your lordsbip with the view of 
impressing upon your attention the absolute necessity of the pecuniary support 
of her majesty's government being extended to the undertaking, in the event of 
the government concurring in the opinion expressed by the deputation, that the 
Euphrates Valley Railway was a work of great national importance. 

16. It was most satisfactory to the deputation to have from your lordship the 
assurance that her majesty's government entirely concurred with the deputation 
as to the great importance to this country of connecting England and India by 
the Euphrates Valley route, and that it would continue to receive the countenance 
and furtherance of government, 

17. The financial support required from her majesty's government is a counter 
guarantee of 5 per cent, for twenty -five years, or 4 1-2 per cent, for fifty years, on 
the capital of £1,400,000 for the first section. The responsibility incurred by the 
government in granting this assistance would, it is believed, be merely nominal, 
and could only accrue in the event of two contingencies— the railway not paying 
a moderate dividend, and the Turkish government failing to fulfil its part of the 
contract, 

18. Only under the above circumstances could her majesty's government be 
called upon to make any contribution, and it will be seen by reference to Sir J, 
Macneill's report, that the existing traflttc upon that portion of the route of the 
proposed railway is suflQcient in his judgment to y'old a dividend of 8 per cent, on 
the capital required. 



278 APPEKDIX. 

19. The East India Company might fairly be expected to share the responsi- 
bility of the counter guarantee, in the same way as they have already contributed 
to the subsidy to the European and Indian Junction Telegraph Company, as the 
establishment of the proposed route appears to be of vital importance for secur- 
ing the good government and peaceable possession of India. 

20. The experienced and distinguished gentlemen with whom I had the honor of 
being associated in waiting upon your lordship, on the 22d instant, are well aware 
that the question of the government guaranteeing interest on an industrial under- 
taking is not free from difficulty, and this difficulty would be increased if, on the 
present occasion, the granting,of the guarantee might hereafter be quoted as a 
precedent for similar demands. 

21. The pecuniaiy support of government is on the present occasion sought, not 
on industrial or commercial considerations, but on account of the political im- 
portance of the railway to the empire at large; and it is to be remembered that 
whatever assistance the government may render to the Euphrates Valley Railway, 
can never be quoted as a precedent for the furtherance of any similar undertak- 
ing, for no similar undertaking can possibly be brought forward, as the route pro- 
posed is at once the shortest and the easiest between England and India, the 
whole length of the valley of the Euphrates is so free from impediment, that it 
would seem as if Providence had specially ordained it to be the great highway of 
nations between the East and the West. 

22. I beg to call your lordship's attention to the accompanying memorandum by 
Sir Justin Shell, on the political advantages that might fairly be expected to 
accrue to England by the proposed Euphrates Valley Railway being in the hands 
of Englishmen, and to the annexed report of the evidence in the committee of 
the House of Commons on the European and Indian Junction Telegraph Com- 
pany, to the effect that no danger is to be apprehended to the construction of 
either a telegraph or a railway from the Arabs on the banks of the Euphrates and 
Tigris. 

23. In confiding to the consideration of her majesty's government what is be- 
lieved to be the most important work, viewed in all its bearings, that was ever 
submitted to any government, I must state the general conviction that the Eu- 
phrates route will most assuredly pass into other hands if England declines the 
task. 

24. I beg again to express, on behalf of the deputation, their grateful sense of 
your lordship's consideration and courtesy. 

I have the honor, etc., 

W. P. ANDREW, CTiairman. 

The Right Hon. Viscount Palmerston, K, G. 



APPENDIX* 279 



B»port of ihe Select Committee* of the Rouse of Commoms, on the Euphrates Val- 
ley Railway, dated 2%d July, 1872. Extracts. 

The Select Committee appointed to examine and report upon the "vyhole subject 
of Railway Communication between the Mediterranean, the B^ack Sea, and 
the Persian Gulf, have considered the matters to them referred, and have 
agreed to the following report: 

Your committee have to report that, in compliance with the directions of your 
Honorable House, they have taken evidence upon the whole subject of railway 
communication between the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Persian Gulf. 

They find that at the present time no such communication exists, nor is^ any 
plan for establishing it in course of execution, though it has been stated to them 
that the Turkish government has it in contemplation to extend the line of railway 
now in course of construction from Scutari towards Bagdad, thereby connecting 
Constantinople and the Black Sea with the Valley of the Tigris, whence the line 
might at a future time be continued to the Persian Gulf. The Btissian system of 
railways is nearly completed as far as Tijlis, and may shortly he expected to 
reach Beched on the Btisso- Persian frontier. It is surmised that this system also 
might at a future time be extended to the Gulf, which would thus be brotight into 
communication with the Black Sea at Poti. This is, however, as yet, mere mat- 
ter of speculation. 

It has seemed to them (the committee) that they would most properly discharge 
their functions by confining their attention to the question of establishing a route 
to the Persian Gulf from some port on the Mediterranean, to which British ships 
could at all times have easy and uncontrolled access, and which would be likely 
to be available, whenever required, for the transmission of troops and mails, as 
well as passengers and goods, to India. 

Upon this point they have not only taken the evidence of a number of official 
and non-official witnesses, but have also obtained, through the kindness of the 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a series of reports from certain of her 
majesty's consuls, who were considered by his lordship to be the best qualified to 
furnish valuable information on the subject. These reports, which are highly in- 
teresting, will be found in the Appendix. 

The evidence which your committee nave taken, and to which much more might 
have been added, has satisfied them that there is no insuperable obstacle in the 
way of the construction of a railway from some suitable port in the Mediterranean, 
to some other suitable point at or near the head of the Persian Gulf; that there is 
more than one port which might be selected at either end of the line; that there 
are several practicable routes; that there would be no difficulty in procuring the 
necessary supply of labor and of materials for constructing a railway; and that 



* The Committee was composed of the following members: Sir Stafford North- 
cote, Bart., Viscount Sandon, Sir George Jenkinson, Bart., Hon. Fred Walpole, 
Mr. Eastwick, Mr. Baillie Cochrane, Mr. Laird, Mr. Grant Duff, Hon. Arthur Km- 
naird, Mr Brassey, Sir Charles Wingfield, Mr. Henry Robert Brand. Mr. M' Arthur, 
Mr. Dyce Nicol, Mr. Kirkman Hodgson. This committee was appointed on the 
motion of Sir George Jenkinson.— W. P. A. 



280 APPENDIX. 

there tteed be no apprehension of its being exposed to injury by the natives, either 
during the process of its construction, or after it shall have been completed. They 
find, too, that there is reason to expect the sanction, if not the active concurrence 
of the Turkish government, in any well-conceived project that may be presented 
to them. 

So far as the information they have obtained goes, they are dispos d to prefer 
Alexandretta to Tripoli as the point of departure, even for a line down the right 
bank of the Euphrates; while, should a Une down the Tigris be preferred, or 
should it be thought desirable to connect the new line with the projected Turkish 
system, there can be no doubt of the superiority of the former terminus. 

As regards the terminus on the Persian Gulf, your committee are decidedly of 
opinion that it would be better to carry the line to some point where it might be 
brought into communication with the steam vessels which are now under govern- 
ment subvention to carry the mails, and which ply from the Indian ports to Bus- 
sorah, than to continue it along the coast to Kurrachee, by a very expensive and 
probably unremunerative route. Of the particular ports which have been men- 
tioned, they are inclined to prefer the port of Grane; but upon this point, as well 
as upon the selection of a port in the Mediterranean, they think that a local in- 
quiry, conducted by competent scientific authorities, with a special reference to 
the purpose in view, would be desirable. 

Passing from the question of the termini to that of the route itself, your com- 
mittee find that the arguments in favor of, and against, the Euphrates and the- 
Tigris routes respectively, may be thus stated: 

The Euphrates route is considerably the shorter; would be the cheaper to make; 
and, assuming an equal rate of speed, would afford the quicker passage for per- 
sons, troops, or mails passing between England and India. The Tigris route might 
attract the larger amount of traffic, and would connect itself better with the pro- 
jected Turkish system. 

Among the witnesses whose evidence tends most strongly to support the policy 
of incurring the cost or risk of a national guarantee, your committee may men- 
tion Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord Strathnairn, Sir H. Bartle Frere, Sir 
Donald Macleod, Mr. Laing, Colonel Sir H. Green, Colonel Malcolm Green, Captain 
Tyler, R. E., Mr. W. Gifford Palgrave, &c. 

Among those who suggest considerations tending to throw doubt on the pro- 
priety of such an expenditure, your committee would call attention to the evi- 
dence of Lord Sandhurst, Sir H. Eawlinson, Major Champain, &c. 

Your committee have not obtained full information as to the cost of any of the 
lines which have been proposed; but they think it probable that the sum of 
£10,000,000 would be amply suflicient to cover the expense of the shortest route, at 
all events. 

What then are the advantages which the country might expect to gain from this 
possible expenditure? They are principally those to be derived from the moi-e 
rapid transmission of mails, and from the possession of an alternative and more 
rapid route for the conveyance of troops; and from the great commercial ad- 
vantages, both to India and England, which the opening up of the route woul'^ 
confer. 

The amount of time that might be saved in the transmission of mails from 
England to Bombay is variously estimated by different witnesses, some placing it 
at four days, others as high as seven or eight days; but it must of course mate- 
rially depend upon, first, the length of the railway, and secondly, the rate of 
speed at which the trains can travel, which again depends partly upon the gauge 
to be adopted, and thus the question is resolved into one of cost. Captain Tyler, 



APPENDIX. 281 

R. E., who has gone carefully into the question, states the saving of distance by 
the Euphrates route from London, via Brindisi and Scanderoon to Bombay, as 
compared with that via Brindisi, Alexandria and Suez, at 723 miles, and estimates 
the saving of time at ninety-two hours. The adoption of Kurrachee as the point 
of debarkatiorij instead of Bombay, would of course materially enhance the saving, 
and during the season of the monsoon the gain would be increased by avoiding 
the Indian Ocean. 

But nearly all the witnesses concur as to the importance of having a second or al- 
ternative route available in case of the first being impeded,* or in case of an emer- 
gency arising, which might call for the rapid dispatch of troops, especially if they 
were wanted in the northwest of India. 

The importance of the proposed route by way of the Persian Gulf would of 
course be materially enhanced, especially as regards the conveyance of troops, by 
the completion of the works now in progress at the harbor of Kurrachee, and of 
the Indus Valley, and the Lahore and Peshawur Railways. Your Committee have 
therefore taken the evidence of Mr. Thornton, the secretary to the Public Works 
Department at the India Office, and of Mr. Parkes, the consulting engineer to the 
Secretary of State for India for the harbor at Kurrachee, who have spoken most 
favorably of the works now in progress there. Your Committee gather from the 
evidence of these gentlemen that the harbor, which is already available for the 
landing of troops and mails, will in the course of two more years be capable of 
receiA'mg the large Indian troop-ships. THEY ARE NOT AVVARE OF THE 
PERIOD WITHIN WHICH THE SYSTEM OF RAILWAYS CONNECTING KUR- 
RACHEE WITH PESHAWUR MAY BE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED; BUT 
WHENEVER THIS SHALL HAVE BEEN DONE, THERE CAN BE NO. DOUBT 
THAT A ROUTE BY WAY' OF THE PERSIAN GULF AND KU-RRACHEE WILL 
AFFORD MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ENGLAND AND THE 
PUNJAUB, AND NORTHWEST FRONTIER OF BRITISH INDIA, SUPERIOR 
TO THOSE AFFORDED BY THE WAY OF SUEZ AND BOMBAY. 

Speaking generally, your Committee are of opinion that the two routes, by the 
Red Sea and by the Persian Gulf, might be maintained and used simultaneously; 
that at certain seasons and for certain purposes the advantage would lie with the 
one, and at other seasons and for other purposes it would lie with the other; that 
it may fairly be expected that in process of time traffic enough for*the support of 
both would develop itself, but that this result must not be expected too soon ; 
THAT THE POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF ESTABLISH- 
ING A SECOND ROUTE WOULD AT ANY TIME BE CONSIDERABLE, 
AND MIGHT UNDER POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES, BE EXCEEDINGLY 
GREzVT; AND THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH THE WHILE OF THE ENGLISH 
GOVERNMENT TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO SECURE THEM. CONSIDERING 
THE MODERATE PECUNIARY RISK WHICH THEY WOULD INCUR. THEY 
BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BEST BE DONE BY OPENING COMMUNICATIONS 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY IN THE SENSE INDICATED BY THE 
SEMI-OFFICIAL CORRESPONDJENCE TO WHICH THEY HAVE ALREADY 
DRAWN ATTENTION. 
Jtdy 22d, 1872. 

* It has already been mentioned that in Sir Garnet Wolseley's opinion, " the 
largest ironclads could not pass by the canal, and it was evident that it would be 
the easiest matter in the world to stop the traffic on that canal. It might be done 
by a few barges; by one good, larere torpedo; by a vessel laden with dynamite or 
powder, and taken to certain positions in the canal, where they would do enough 
damage to stop the canal for a year." — W. P. A. 



282 APPENDIX. 



From the Under Secretary of State for India to W. A. Andrew, Esq., Chairman of 
the Soinde, Punja^ib and Delhi Railway Company, regarding the approaching 
completion of the Indus Valley State Railway. 

India Office, Ibth March, 1877. 
Sir— With reference to the correspondence noted in the margin,* I am directed 
• Letters from Mr. Andrew ^y i\^q Marouis of Salisburv to acQuaint you, for the informa- 

to Under Secretary of State *' ^ -r^ 

for India, dated 14th Decern tion of the Scindc, Punjaub and Delhi Railway Board, that 

ber, 1876 (No. 896); anu 10th ,.,,,., • j i .... .c ii_ /-, i. e 

January, 1877 (No. 905). Let- his lordship has reccived a letter from the Government of 
st"t/'fOT ^indi'I, "tr^Mrr^An- India relative to the progress of the Indus Valley State Rail- 
u'a^y.' l%^7^ ""* ""* ^''' ■''°" way, from which the following is an extract: 

"The section of the line from Mooltan to Chunni Ghate, and thence by a tem- 
porary surface line to a point on the Sutlej below its junction with the Chenab has 
now been opened for goods trafl&c, and thus is saved the difficult navigation in the 
Chenah, thereby adding some 20 to 30 per cent, to the carrying power of the 
Flotilla in correspondence with the Scinde, Punjaub and Delhi Railway. The 
passage, over the Sutlej at Bahawulpore is effected by a temporary bridge in the 
dry season, and by ferry in the rains." 

It is estimated that, with the exception of the bridges over the Sutlej and the 
Indus, the line throughout will be finished by the end of the present year, viz., the 
section from Kotri to Sukkifr by June, and that from Chunni Ghate to Kotri by 
December, I am, sir, 

Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) Louis Mallet. 



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1001 Castle's Heir, The; or. Lady 

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949 Claribel's Love Story; or. 
Love's Hidden Depths. By 
Charlotte M. Braerae, author 

of " Dora Thorne " 20 

1040 Clarissa's Ordeal. By the au- 
thor of ''A Great Mistake." 

1st half 20 

1040 Clarissa's Ordeal. By the au- 
thor of "A Great Mistake." 
2d half 20 

33 Clique of Gold, The. By Emile 
Gaboriau 20 

782 Closed Door, The. By F. Du 
Boisgobey. 1st half 20 

782 Closed Door, The. By F. Du 
Boisgobey. 2d half 20 

499 Cloven Foot, The. By Miss M. 
E. Braddon 20 

493 Colonel Enderby's Wife. By 

Lucas Malet 20 

1140 Colonel Quaritch, V. C. By H. 
Rider Haggard 20 

769 Cometh Up as a Flower. By 
Rhoda Broughton 20 

221 Comin' Thro' the Rye. By 

Helen B. Mathers 20 

1059 Confessions of an English Opi- 
um -Eater. By Thomas De 

Quincey 20 

1013 Confessions of Gerald Est- 
court, The. By Florence Mar- 
ryat 20 

523 Consequences of a Duel, The. 
By F. Du Boisgobey 20 

547 Coquette's Conquest, A. By 
Basil 20 

104 Coral Pin, The. By F. Du Bois- 
gobey. 1st half 20 



104 Coral Pin, The. By F. Du Bois- 
gobey. 2d half 20 

598 Corinna. By " Rita " 10 

1090 Coss»cks, The. By Count Lyof 

Tolstoi 20 

1148 Countess Eve, The. By J. H. 

Shorthouse 30 

1115 Countess Gisela, The. By E. 

Marhtt 20 

262 Count of Monte-Cristo, The. 

By Alexander Dumas. Part I 30 
262 Count of Monte-Cristo, The. 

By Alexander Dumas. Part II 30 
979 Count's Secret, The. By Emile 

Gaboriau. Parti 20 

979 Count's Secret,. The. By Emile 

Gaboriau. Part II 30 

687 Country Gentleman, A. By 

Mrs. Oliphant 20 

590 Courting of Mary Smith, The. 

By F. W. Robinson 20 

787 Court Royal. A Story of Cross 

Currents. By S. Baring-Gould 20 
1128 Cousin Pons^ By Honor6 de 

Balzac 30 

258 Cousins! By L. B.* Walford ... 20 
649 Cradle and Spade. By William 

Sime 20 

630 Cradock N<}well. By R. D, 

Blackmore. 1st half 20 

630 Cradock Nowell. By R. D. 

Blackmore. 2d half 20 

938 Cranford. Bv Mrs. Gaskell. . . 20 
108 Cricket on the Hearth, The. 

By Charles Dickens 10 

376 Crime of Christmas Day, The. 

By the author of " My Ducats 

and My Daughter " 10 

706 Crimson Stain, A. By Annie 

Bradshaw 10 

629 Cripps, the Carrier. By R. D. 

Blackmore 20 

851 Cry of Blood, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey. 1st half 20 

851 Cry of Blood, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey. 2d half 20 

504 Curly : An Actor's Story. By 

John Coleman. Illustrated. 10 
544 Cut by the County ; or, Grace 

Darnel. Miss M. E. Braddon 10 
826 Cynic Fortune. By D. Christie 

Murray 20 

1025 Daisy's Dilemma. By Mrs. H. 

Lovett Cameron 20 

446 Dame Durden. By "Rita".. 20 
34 Daniel Deronda. By George 

Eliot. 1st half 20 

34 Daniel Deronda. By George 

Eliot. 2d half 20 

301 Dark Days. By Hugh Conway 10 
609 Dark House, The: A Knot Un- 
raveled. By G. Manville Fenn 10 

1026 Dark Inheritance, A. By Mary 

Cecil Hay 20 

975 Dark Marriage Morn, A. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme 20 

81 Daughter of Heth, A. By Will- 
iam Black 20 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



351 Daughter of the Stars, The, and 
Other Tales. Hup:h Conway, 
author of " Called Back ".... 10 
82 David Copperfield. By Charles 

Dickens. Vol. 1 20 

22 David Copperfield. By Charles 
• Dickens. Vol. II 20 

959 Daw^n. By H. Rider Hagsrard. 20 

527 Days of My Life, The. By Mrs. 
Oliphant 20 

305 Dead Heart, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme 10 

374 Dead Man's Secret, The; or, 
The Adventures of a Medical 
Student. By Dr. Jupiter Paeon 20 

567 Dead Men's Shoes. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

946 Dead Secret, The. By Wilkia 

Collins 20 

1071 Death of Ivan lUitch, The. By 

Count Lyof Tolstoi 10 

1062 Deerslayer, The ; or, 'J'he First 
War -Path. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper. 1st half. 20 

1062 Deerslayer, The; or, The First 
War - Path. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper. 2d half.... 20 

286 Deldee ; or. The Iron Hand. By 

F. Warden 20 

1028 Devout Lover, A ; or, A Wasted 

Love. By Mrs. H. Lovett Cam- 
eron 20 

115 Diamond Cut Diamond. By T. 

Adolphus Trollope 10 

1124 Diana Bairington. By B. M. 

Croker 20 

744 Diana Carew ; or. For a Wom- 
an's Sake. By Mrs. Forrester 20 

350 Diana of the Crossways. By 
George Meredith 10 

250 Diana's Discipline; or. Sun- 
shine and Roses. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme 10 

478 Diavola; or. Nobody's Daugh- 
ter. By Miss M. E. Braddon. 
Part 1 20 

478 Diavola; oy, Nobody's Daugh- 
ter. By Miss M. E. Braddon. 

Partll 20 

87 Dick Sand ; or, A Captain at 
Fifteen. By Jules Verne.... 20 

486 Dick's Sweetheart. By " The 
Duchess " 20 

536 Dissolving Views. By Mrs. An- 
drew^ Lang 10 

185 Dita. By Lady Margaret Ma- 
jendie 10 

894 Doctor Cupid. By Rhoda 

Broughton 20 

594 Doctor Jacob. By Miss Betham- 

Edwards 20 

108 Doctor Marigold. By Charles 

Dickens 10 

529 Doctor's Wife, The. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

721 Dolores. By Mrs. Forrester.. 20 
107 Dombey and Son. By Charles 

Dickens. 1st half 20 



107 Dombey and Son. By Charles 
Dickens. 2d half JO 

282 Donal Grant. By George Mac- 
Donald 90 

671 Don Gesualdo. By"Ouida.". 10 
1149 Donovan : A Modern English- 
man. By Edna Lyall. 1st half 20 

1149 Donovan : A Modern English- 

man. By Edna Lyall. 2d half 20 

779 Doom ! An Atlantic Episode. 

By Justin H. McCarthy, M.P. 10 
51 Dora Thome. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme 20 " 

284 Doris. By " The Duchess "... 10 

820 Doris's Fortune. By Florence 
Warden 30 

230 Dorothy Forster. By Walter 
Besant 20 

678 Dorothy's Venture. By Mary- 
Cecil Hay 20 

665 Dove in the Eagle's Nest, The. 
By Charlotte M. Yonge 20 

585 DrWn Game, A. By Basil... 20 
1022 Driven to Bay. By Florence 

Marryat 26 

1039 Driver Dallas. By John 

Strange Winter 10 

1085 Duchess, The. By " The Duch- 
ess " 20 

151 Ducie Diamonds, The. By C. 
Blatherwick 10 

549 Dudley Carleon ; or. The Broth- 
er's Secret, and George Caul- 
field's Journey. By Miss M. E. 
Braddon 10 

982 Duke's Secret, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"DoraThorne" 20 

855 Dynamiter, The. By Robert 
Louis Stevenson and Fanny 
Van de Grift Stevenson 20 

8 East Lynne. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood. 1st half 20 

8 East Lynne. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood. 2d half 20 

465 Earl's Atonement, The. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme .'. 20 

990 Earl's Error, The. By Charlotte 

8^ Effie OgilvieV By Mrs." Oliphant 20 

1150 Egoist, The. By George Mere- 

dith. 1st half 20 

1150 Egoist, The. By George Mere- 
dith. 2d half 20 

1118 Elect Lady, The. By George 

MacDonald 20 

960 Elizabeth's Fortune. By Ber- 
tlia Thomas 30 

1106 Emperor, The. By George 

Ebers... 20 

685 England under Gladstone. 1880 
—1885. By Justin H. McCar- 
thy, M.P 20 

1059 English Mail-Coach, The. By 

Thomas De Quincey 20 

521 Entangled. By E. Fairfax 
Byrrne. SO 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



625 Erema; or. My Father's Sin. 

By R. D. Blackmore 20 

118 Eric Bering. " The Duchess " 10 
96 Erling the Bold. By R. M. Bal- 

lantyne 10 

90 Ernest Maltravers. By Sir E. 

Bulwer Lytton 20 

1033 Esther: A Story for Girls. By 

Rosa Nouchette Carey 20 

786 Ethel Mildmay's Follies. By 

author of " Petite's Romance " 20 
162 Eugene Aram. By Sir E. Bul- 
wer Lytton 20 

1122 Eve. By S. Baring-Gould 20 

764 Evil Genius, The. By Wilkie 

Collins 20 

470 Evelyn's Folly. By Charlotte 
M. .Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 20 

62 Executor, The. By Mrs. Alex- 

13 Eyre's Acqui'ttaV. ' By Helen B. 
Mathers 10 

319 Face to Face : A Fact in Seven 
Fables. By R. E. Francillon. 10 

877 Facing the Footlights. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

638 Fair Country Maid, A. By E. 
Fairfax Byrrne 20 

905 Fair-Haired Alda, The. By 
Florence Marryat 20 

261 Fair Maid, A. By F. W. Robin- 
son 20 

417 Fair Maid of Perth, The ; or, 
St. Valentine's Day. By Sir 
Walter Scott 20 

626 Fair Mystery, A. By Charlotte 

M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 20 

727 Fair Women. Mrs. Forrester 20 
30 Faith and Unfaith. By " The 
Duchess" 20 

819 Fallen Idol, A. By F. Anstey. . 20 

294 False Vow, The; or, Hilda. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of "DoraTliorne" 10 

928 False Vow, The; or, Hilda. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of "Dora Thorne." (Large 
type edition) 20 

543 Family Affair, A. By Hugh 
Conwaj% author of " Called 
Back " 20 

338 Family Difficulty," The. By Sa- 
rah Doudney 10 

690 Far From the Madding Crowd. 
By Thomas Hardy 20 

798 Fashion of this World, The. By 
Helen B. Mathers 10 

680 Fast and Loose. By Arthur 
Griffiths 20 

246 Fatal Dower, A. By the Author 
of "His Wedded Wife". .... 20 

899 Fatal Lilies, The. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme 10 

B48 Fatal Marriage, A, and The 
Shadow in the Corner. By 
Miss M. E. Braddon 10 



1098 Fatal Three, The. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 2(7 

1043 Faust. By Goethe 2(. 

693 Felix Holt, the Radical. By 

George Eliot 90 

542 Fenton's Quest. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 20 

993 Fighting the Air. By Florence 

Marryat , 20 

7 File No. 113. Emile Gaboriau 20 
575 Finger of Fate, The. By Cap- 
tain Mayne Reid . . 20 

95 Fire Brigade, The. By R. M. 

Ballantyne 10 

674 First Person Singular. By Da- 
vid Christie Murray 20 

199 Fisher Village, The. By Anne 

Beale 10 

579 Flower of Doom, The, and 
Other Stories. By M. Betham- 
• Edwards 10 

1129 Flying Dutchman, The; or. The 
Death Ship. By W. Clark Rus- 
ggy 20 

156 "For a Dream's' Sake.'' 'By 
Mrs. Herbert Martin 90 

745 For Another's Sin; or, A 
Struggle for Love. By Char- 
lotte M, Braeme 20 

1151 For Faith and Freedom. By 

Walter Besant. 1st half 20 

1151 For Faith and Freedom. By 
Walter Besant. 2d half 20 

197 For Her Dear Sake. By Mary 
Cecil Hay 20 

150 For Himself Alone. By T. W. 
Speight 10 

278 For Life and Love, By Alison 10 
608 ForLilias. By Rosa Nouchette 

Carey. 1st half 20 

608 For Lilias. By Rosa Nouchette 

Carey. 2d half 90 

712 For Maimie's Sake. By Grant 

Allen 20 

586 " For Percival." By Margaret 

Veley 20 

173 Foreigners, The. By Eleanor C. 
Price 20 

997 Forging the Fetters, and The 
Australian Aunt. By Mrs. 
Alexander 20 

171 Fortune's Wheel. By "The 
Duchess" 10 

468 Fortunes, Good and Bad, of a 
Sewing-Girl, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Stanley 10 

21G Foul Play. By Charles Reade 20 

438 Found Out. By Helen B. 
Mathers •. 10 

333 Frank Fairlegh; or. Scenes 
From the Life of a Private 
Pupil. By Frank E. Smedley 20 

805 Freres, The. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander. 1st half 30 

805 Freres, The. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander. 2dhalf ao 

SB86 Friendship. By " Ouida " . . . . SQ 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



888 From Gloom to Sunlight; or 
From Out the Gloom. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme 10 

955 From Gloom to Suulight; or, 
From Out the Gloom. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme. (Larse 
type edition) 20 

732 From Olympus to Hades, By 
Mrs. Forrester 20 

288 From Out the Gloom ; or, From 
Gloom to Sunlight. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 10 

955 Fro-n Out the Gloom; or, From 
Gloom to SunUght. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme. (Large type ■ 
edition) 20 

348 From Post to Finish. ARacmg 

Romance. By Hawley Smart 20 
1152 From the Earth to the Moon. 

Bv Jules Verne. Illustrated-. 20 
1044 Frozen Pirate, The. By W. 

Clark Russell • • • 20 



285 Gambler's Wife, The 20 

971 Garrison Gossip: Gathered in 
Blaukhamptou. John Strange 

Winter 20 

772 Gascoyne, the Sandal-Wood 

Trader. By R. M. Ballautyne 20 
1126 Gentleman and Courtier. By 

Florence Marryat 20 

549 George Caulfield's Journey. 

By Miss M. E. Braddon 10 

365 George Christy; or, The Fort- 
unes of a Minstrel. By Tony 

Pastor 20 

331 Gerald. By Eleanor C. Price. 20 
208 Ghost of Charlotte Cray, The, 
and Other Stories. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 10 

613 Ghost's Touch, The. ByWilkie 

Collins 10 

225 Giant's Robe, The. F. Austey 20 
300 Gilded Sin, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 10 

508 Gij-1 at tlje Gate, The. By 

^^ Wilkie Collins 10 

954 Girl's Heart, A. By the author 

of " Nobody's Darling " 20 

867 Girls of Feversham, The. By 

Florence Marryat 20 

644 Girton Girl, A. By Mrs. Annie 

Edwards 20 

140 Glorious Fortune, A. By Wal- 
ter Besant 10 

1092 Glorious Gallop, A. By Mrs. 

Edward Kennard 20 

647 Goblin Gold. By May Crom- 

melin 10 

450 Godfrey Helstone. By Georgi- 

ana M. Craik 20 

972 Gold Elsie. By E. Marlitt 20 

911 Golden Bells: A Peal in Seven 

Changes. By R. E. Francillon 20 
153 Golden Calf,"The. By Miss M. 
E. Braddon 20 



306 Golden Dawn, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 10 

656 Golden Flood, The. By R. E. 

Francillon and Wm. Senior. . 10 
1010 Golden Gates. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 20 

172 " Golden Girls." By Alan Muir 20 
292 Golden Heart, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Tiiorne " 10 

916 Golden Hope, The. By W. 

Clark Russell 20 

667 Golden Lion of Granpere, The. 

By Anthony Trollope 20 

758 " Good-bye, Sweetheart!" By 

Rhoda Broughton 20 

356 Good Hater, A. By Frederick 

Boyle -•■ 20 

801 Good-Natured Man, The. By 

Oliver Goldsmith 10 

981 Granville de Vigne. "Ouida." 

1st half 20 

981 Granville de Vigne. " Ouida." 

2d half 20 

710 Greatest Heiress in England, 

The. By Mrs. Ohphant 20 

439 Great Expectations. By Chas. 

Dickens 20 

135 Great Heiress, A :AFortune in 
Seven Checks. By R. E. Fran- 
cillon 10 

986 Great Hesper, The. By Frank 

Barrett 20 

244 Great Mistake, ;A. By the au- 
thor of " Cherry " 30 

170 Great Treason, A. By Mary 

Hoppus. 1st half 20 

170 Great Treason, A. By Mary 

VIoppus. 2d half 20 

751 Great Voyages and Great Navi- 
gators. Jules Verne. 1st half 20 
751 Great Voyages and Great Navi- 
gators. Jules Verne. 2d half 20 
138 Green Pastures and Piccadilly. 

By Wm. Black 20 

231 Griffith Gaunt; or, Jealousy. 

By Charles Reade 20 

677 Griselda. By the author of " A 

Woman's Love-Story " 20 

469 Guiding Star, A; or. Lady Da- ' 
mer's Secret. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne " 90 

896 Guilty River, The. By Wilkie 
Collins 30 



597 Haco the Dreamer. By William 

Sime 10 

668 Half -Way. An Anglo-French 

Romance 30 

663 Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover 20 
84 Hard Times. Charles Dickens 10 
622 Harry Heathcote of GangoU. 

By Anthony Trollope 10 

191 Harry Lorrequer. By Charles 

Lever 20 



TfiE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket EditiOIT. 



569 Harry Muir. By Mrs. Oliphant 20 
873 Harvest of Wild Oats, A. By 

Florence Marryat 20 

T85 Haunted Chamber, The, By 

•' The Duchess " 10 

977 Haunted Hotel, The. By Wil- 

kie Collins ' 20 

958 Haunted Life, A; or, Her Terri- 
ble Sin. By Cliarlotte M. 
Braeme, author of "Dora 
Thorne " 20 

169 Haunted Man, The. By Charles 
Dickens , 10 

533 Hazel Kirke. By Marie Walsh. 20 

966 He, by the author of " King 
Solomon's Wives" 20 

385 Headsman, The; or. The Ab- 
baye des Vig^nerons. By J. 
Fenimore Cooper 20 

811 Head Station, The. By Mrs. 
Campbell-Praed 20 

572 Healey. By Jessie Fothergill 20 

167 Heart and Science. By Wilkie 
CoUins 20 

444 Heartof Jane Warner, The. By 
Florence Marryat 20 

391 Heart of Mid-Lothian, The. By 
Sir Walter Scott 20 

695 Hearts: Queen, Knave, and 
Deuce. By David Cnristie 

Murray 20 

1155 Heiress of Arne, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
'• Dora Thorne " 20 

741 Heiress of Hilldrop, The; or, 
The Romance of a Young 
Girl. By Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of " Dora Thorne "... 20 

1104 Heir of Linne, The. By Rob- 
ert Buchanan 20 

823 Heir of the Ages, The. By 
James Payn 20 

689 Heh" Presumptive, The. By 

Florence Marryat 20 

1021 Heir to Ashley, The. By Mrs. 

Henry Wood 20 

513 Helen Whitney's Wedding, and 
Other Tales. By Mrs. Henry 
Wood..... 10 

535 Henrietta's Wish; or. Domi- 
neering. By Charlotte M. 
Yonge 10 

fi06 Her Dearest Foe. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander. 1st half 20 

806 Her Dearest Foe. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander. 2d half 20 

160 Her Gentle Deeds. By Sarah 
Tytler lO 

814 Heritage of Langdale, The. By 
Mrs. Alexander 20 

»56 Her Johnnie. By Violet Why te 20 

860 Her Lord and Master, By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

397 Her Marriage Vow; or, Hil- 
ary's Folly. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 10 



953 Her Marriage Vow; or, Hil- 
ary's Folly. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne." (Large type edition) 30 

576 Her Martyrdom. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of "Dora 

Thorne " 20 

19 Her Mother's Sin. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 10 

824 Her Own Doing. W. E. Norris 10 

984 Her Own Sister. By E. S. Will- 
iamson 20 

1065 Herr Paulus: His Rise, His 
Greatness, and His Fall. By 
Walter Besant 20 

978 Her Second Love. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 20 

958 Her Terrible Sin; or, A Haunt- 
ed Life. Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of "Dora Thorne "... 20 

196 Hidden Perils. Mary Cecil Hay 20 

518 Hidden Sin, The. A Novel. ... 20 

933 Hidden Terror, A. By Mary 
Albert 30 

297 Hilary's Folly; or. Her Mar- 
riage Vow. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of "Dora 
Thorne " 10 

953 Hilary's Folly; or, Her Mar- 
riage Vow. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme. (Large type edition) 20 

294 Hilda; or. The False Vow. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 10 

928 Hilda; or. The False Vow. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme. (Large 
type edition) 20 

658 History of a Week, The. By 
Mrs. L. B. Walford 10 

165 Historyof Henry Esmond, The. 
By William M. Thackeray... 90 

461 His Wedded Wife. By author 

of " A Fatal Dower " 20 

1006 His Wife's Judgment. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora thorne " 20 

904 Holy Rose, The. By Walter Be- 
sant r. 10 

378 Homeward Bound; or. The 

Chase. By J. F. Cooper 20 

1041 Home Again. By George Mac- 
donald 20 

379 Home as Found. (Sequel to 

" Homeward Bound.") By J. 

Fenimore Cooper 20 

1089 Home Sounds, By E. Werner 20 
1094 Homo Sum, By George Ebers 20 
1103 Honorable Mrs. Vereker, The. 

By "The Duchess" 20 

800 Hopes and Fears ; or. Scenes 

from the Life of a Spinster. 

Charlotte M. Yonge. 1st half 20 
800 Hopes and Fears; or. Scenes 

from the Life of a Spinster. 

Charlotte M. Yonge. 2d half 20 
552 Hostages to Fortune. By Miss 

M. E. Braddou 20 



N 



THE SEASIDE LIBKARY— Pocket Edition. 



600 Houp-Lal By John Strange 
Winter. (lUustrated)... . .... i" 

r03 House Divided Against Itselt, 
A. By Mrs. Oliphant 'i» 

948 House on the Marsh, The. By 
F. Warden •• . •• • i" 

351 House on the Moor, The. By 
Mrs. Oliphant ;/A"-ViV, in 

874 House Party, A. By " Ouida" 10 

481 House that Jack Built, The. 
By Alison Wr" 

754 How to be Happy Though Mar- 
ried. By a Graduate m the 
University of Matrimony.... ^0 

748 Hurrish : A Study. By the 
Hon. Emily Lawless ^ 

196 Husband's Story, A i^ 

A Portrait. By Bertha 



682 In the Middle Watch. By W. 

Clark RusseU •■i^-h; ^ 

1093 In the Schillingscourt. By a^. 
Marlitt .••••^•- V/r" 

452 In the West Countrie. By May 
Crommelin ••• -^ 

383 Introduced to Society. By 
Hamilton Aid6 4,-v'- 

122 lone Stewart. By Mrs. E. Lynn 

Linton ■••••• • • • • • • • 20 

1031 Irene's Vow. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme • ••••• 

233 " I Say No ;" or. The Love-Let- 
ter Answered. By Wilkie Col- 
lins •• — ■■■: •:• 

^5 "It is Never Too Late to 
Mend." By Charles Reade. .. 
28 Ivanhoe. By Sir Walter bc«tt 20 



20 



20 
20 



389 Ichabod. A Portrait, uy ceriua 

Thomas VWV VC 'Venn 

996Idalia. By " Ouida." Isfha f 90 
996 Idalia. By " Ouida " 2d half 20 
188 Idonea. By Anne Beale.. ... M 
807 If Love Be Love. By D. Cecil 

Gibbs :v--V*"m; 

715 I Have Lived and Loved. By 

Mrs. ■R'orrester • 2" 

762 Impressions of Theophrastus 

Such. By George EUot ...... 10 

303 Ingledew House. By Charlotte 

M. Braeme, author of "Dora 

Thome " ■^■•\V ^ 

796 In a Grass Country. By Mrs, 
H. Lovett Cameron .-•••••••• '^^ 

1009 In an Evil Hour, and Other 
Stories. By "The Duchess" 20 

304 In Cupid's Net. By Charlotte 

M. Braerae, author of * Dora 

Thorne" jAVt:"" 

404 In Durance Vile, and Other 

Stories. By " The Duchess 10 
1132 In Far Lochaber. By William 

Black 

324 In Luck' at' Last. By Walter 

Besant ; x ' : J* W 'loi- 

67-.i InMaremma. By' Ouida. 1st 

YiaM • 

672 InMaremma. By " Ouida." 2d 

Jjalf 'W 

1143 Inner 'House, The. By Walter 

Besaiit y-^y'A' ' 

604 Innocent: A Tale of Modern 
Life. By Mrs. Ohphant. 1st 

half i;;v ■ 

604 Innocent: A Tale, of Modern 
Life. By Mrs. Oliphant. 2d 
half •.-••• D* 

577 In Peril and Privation. By 
James Payn • • • • • • • • • 

638 In Quarters with the 25th (ihe 
Black Horse) Dragoons. By 
J. S. Winter 

759 In Shallow Waters. By Annie 

39 In '^Ik Attire. ' 'By 'Wra. Black 20 
nil In the Counselor's House. By 

E Marlitt 

738 In 'the Golden Days. By Edna 
LyaU 



10 



10 

20 



20 



534 Jack. By Alphonse Daudet . . . 20 
752 Jackanapes, and Other Stories. 

By Juliana HoratiaEwing... 10 
206 Jack of All Trades. By Charles 

Reade 

416 Jack Tier;" or. The Florida 

Reef. By J. Fenimore Cooper ^0 
743 Jack's Courtship. By W. Clark 
Russell. 1st half............. 20 

743 Jack's Courtship. By W. Clark 
Russell. 2d half ... . . .... • • - ^ 

519 James Gordon's Wife A Novel 20 
15 Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bront§ 20 
728 J a n 6 1 ' s Repentance. By 

George Eliot. i" 

142 Jenifer. By Annie Thomas... 20 
941 Jess. By H. Rider Haggard . 20 
1046 Jessie. By the author of Ad- 
die's Husband "•••••••/•• o 

841 Jet : Her Face or Her Fortune ? 
By Mrs. Annie Edwards. .. . . . 1" 

767 Joan. By Rhoda Broughton. 20 
914 Joan Wentworth. By Katba- 

line S. Macquoid 2U 

357 John. By Mrs. Oliphant . ..... 20 

203 John Bull and His Island. By 

Max O'Rell ;•••••.•• "i^ 'l ^" 

289 John Bull's Neighbor in Her 
True Light. By a "Brutal 

Saxon " ^^ 

11 John Halifax, Gentlenaan. By 
Miss Mulock. 1st half. ...... ^U 

11 John Halifax, Gentleman. By 
Miss Mulock. 2d half . . ... • . . M 

209 John Holdsworth, Chief Mate. 

By W. Clark Russell IW 

694 John Maidment. By Julian 

Sturgis -.- ••• '^ 

570 John Marchmont's Legacy. By _ 
Miss M. E. Braddon . . ...... 30 

488 Joshua Haggard's Daughter. 
By Miss M. E. Braddon...... 20 

619 Joy; or. The Light of Cold- 
Home Ford. By May Crom- ^ 

1154 Judgm'e'nt of 'God, A. By E. 

Werner W ' V '^Ui 

265 Judith Shakespeaie: Her Love 
AfEairs and Other Advent- 
ures. Br William Black.... a» 



to 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition, 



383 Judith Wynne. By author of 
" Lady Lovelace " 20 

808 Julia and Her Romeo. By Da- 
vid Christie Murray 20 

80 June. By Mrs. Forrester 20 

561 Just As I Am ; or, A Living Lie. 
By Miss M. E. Braddon 20 



1055 Katharine Regina. By Walter 

Besant 20 

1063 Kenilwortli.' ' ' By' Sir' 'Wa'lter 

Scott. Isfchalf 20 

1063 Kenilvvorth. By Sir Walter 

Scott. 2d half 20 

832 Kidnapped. By Robert Louis 

Stevenson 20 

857 Kildee ; or, The Sphinx of the 

Red House. By Mary E. 

Bryan. 1st half 20 

857 Kildee; or. The Sphinx of the 

Red House. By Mary E. 

Bryan. 2d half 20 

126 Kilmeny. By William Black. 20 
808 King Arthur. Not a Love 

Story. By Miss Mulock 20 

753 King Solomon's Mines. By H. 

Rider Haggard 20 

970 King Solomon's Wives; or, The 

Phantom Mines. By Hyder 

Ragged. (Illustrated) 20 

435 Klytia : A Story of Heidelberg 

Castle. By Gteorge Taylor. . . 20 
1147 Knight-Errant. ByEdnaLyall. 

1st half 20 

1147 Knight-Errant. ByEdnaLyall. 

2d half 20 



1001 Lady Adelaide's Oath; or, The 
Castle's Heir. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood 20 

35 Lady Audley 's Secret. By Miss 
M. E. Braddon 20 

733 Lady Branksmere. By "The 
Duchess " 20 

516 Lady Castlemaine's Divorce; 
or, Put Asimder. By Chai lotte 
M. Braeme 20 

219 Lady Clare ; or, The Master of 
the Foi'ges. From the French 
of Georges Ohnet 10 

469 Lady Damer's Seoi-et; or, A 
Guiding Star. By Cliarlotte 
M. Bi-aeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 20 

931 Lady Diana's Pride. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thome " 20 

268 Lady Gay's Pride ; or. The Mi- 
ser's Treasure. By Mrs. Alex. 

McVeigh Miller 20 

1042 Lady Grace. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood 20 

305 Lady Gwendoline's Dream. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 10 

894 Lady Button's Ward. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme 10 



928 Lady Button's Ward. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme. (Large type 
edition) 20 

506 Lady Lovelace. By the author 
of "Judith Wynne" 20 

155 Lady Muriel's Secret. By Jean 
Middlemas 20 

161 Lady of Lyons, The. Founded 
on the Play of that title by 

Lord Ly tton 10 

1060 Lady of the Lake, The. By Sir 

Waller Scott, Bart 20 

497 Lady's Mile, The. By Miss M. 
E. Braddon... 20 

875 Ladv Val worth's Diamonds. 
By '"The Duchess" 20 

652 Lady with the Rubies, The. By 
E. Marlitt 20 

269 Lancaster's Choice. By Mrs. 
Alex. McVeigh Miller 20 

599 Lancelot Ward, M.P. George 

Temple 10 

32 Land Leaguers, The. By An- 
thony TroUope 20 

1099 Lasses of Leverhouse, The. 

By Jessie Fothergill 20 

684 Last Days at Apswich .10 

40 Last Days of Pompeii, The. By 
Sir E. Bulwer Lytton 20 

130 Last of the Barons, The, By Sir 
E. Bulwer Lytton. 1st half. . 20 

130 Last of the Barons, The. By Sir 

E. Bulwer Lytton, 9d half. . 20 
60 Last of the Mohicans, The. By 
J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

921 Late Miss Hollingford, The. 
By Rosa MulhoUand 10 

267 Laurel Vane; or, The Girls' 
Conspiracy. By Mrs. Alex. 
McVeigh Miller 20 

455 Lazarus in London. By F. W, 
Robinson 20 

839 Leah : A Woman of Fashion. 
By Mrs. Annie Edwards 20 

386 Led Astray ; or, " La Petite 

Comtesse." Octave Feuillet. 10 
1095 Legacy of Cain, The. By Wil- 

kie Collins 20 

353 Legend of Montrose, A. By Sir 
Walter Scott 20 

164 Leila; or, The Siege of Gren- 
ada. By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton 10 

885 Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. 
Parti 20 

885 Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. 
Partn 20 

885 Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. 
Part in 20 

408 Lester's Secret. By Mary Cecil 
Hay 20 

988 Letty Leigh. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of " Dbra 
Thorne" 20 

562 Lewis Arundel; or, The Rail- 
road of Life. By Frank E. 
Smedley 20 

437 Life and Adventures of Martin 
Chuzzlewit. By Charles Dick- 
ens. Isthalf..., 20 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



11 



437 Life and Adventures of Martin 
Chuzzlewit. By Charles Dick- 
ens, 2d half 30 

774 Life and Travels of Mungo 

Park The 10 

1057 Life interest, A.* By Mrs. 

Alexander 20 

•98 Life's Atonement, A. By David 

Christie Murray 20 

1070 Life's Mistake, A. By Mrs. H. 

Lovett Cameron 20 

1027 Life's Secret, A. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood 20 

1086 Like and Unlike. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

617 Like Dian's Kiss. By " Rita " 20 

807 Like no Other Love. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 10 

403 Lilliesleaf ; or, Passages in the 
Life of Mrs. Margaret Mait- 
land of Sunnyside. By Mrs. 
Oliphant. . . . ; 20 

897 Lionel Lincoln; or, The 
Leaguer of Boston. By J. 

Fenimore Cooper ^ 

94 Little Dorrit. By Charles Dick- 
ens. 1st half 20 

fl4 Little Dorrit. By Charles Dick- 
ens. 2d half 20 

i09 Little Loo. W. Clark Russell 20 

179 Little Make-Believe. By B. L. 

Farjeon 10 

1083 Little Old Man of the Batig- 
nolles, The. By Emile Ga- 

boriau 10 

45 Little Pilgrim, A, By Mrs. Oli- 
phant 10 

372 Little Savage, The, By Captain 
Marryat 10 

111 Little School-master Mark, 
The. By J. H. Shorthouse . . 10 

899 Little Stepson, A. By Florence 
Marryat 10 

878 Little Tu'penny. By S. Baring- 
Gould 10 

804 Living or Dead. By Hugh Con- 
way, author of "Called Back " 90 

919 Locksley Hall Sixty Years Af- 
ter, etc. By Alfred, Lord 
Tennyson, P.L., D.C.L 10 

797 Look Before You Leap. By 

. Mrs. Alexander 20 

1134 Lord Elesmere's Wife. By Char- 
lotte M, Braeme. 1st half. . 20 
1184 Lord Elesmere's Wife. By Char- 
lotte M, Braeme, 2d half . . . . 20 
92 Lord Lynne's Choice. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"Dora Thorne" 10 

749 Lord Vanecourt's Daughter. 

By Mabel Collins 20 

67 Lorna Doone. By R. D. Black- 
more. 1st half 20 

67 Lorna Doone, By R. D. Black- 
more. 2d half 20 

473 Lost Son, A. By Mary Linskill 10 

354 Lottery of Life, The, By John 
Brougham..... ^ 



453 Lottery Ticket, The. By F, Du 
Boisgobey 30 

479 Louisa. By Katharine S, Mac- 
quoid 30 

742 Love and Life. By Charlotte 
M. Yonge. 20 

373 Love and Mirage; or. The 
Waiting on an Island. By M. 
Betham-Ed wards 10 

232 Love and Money ; or, A Peril- 
ous Secret. By Chas. Reade. 10 

146 Love Finds the Way, and Oth- 
er Stories. By Walter Besant 
and James Rice 10 

306 Love for a Day. By Charlotte' 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 10 

313 Lover's Creed, The, By Mrs. 
Cashel-Hoey 20 

893 Love's Conflict. By Florence 
Marryat. 1st half 30 

893 Love's Conflict. By Florence 
Marrvat. 2d half 30 

573 Love's Harvest. B. L. Farjeon 30 

949 Love's Hidden Depths; or, 
Claribel's Love Story. By- 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 90 

175 Love's Random Shot. ByWil- 
kie Collins 10 

757 Love's Martyr. By Laurence 
Alma Tadema 10 

291 Love's Warfare. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 10 

78 Love's Victory; or. Redeemed 
by Love. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of "Dora 
Thorne" 30 

118 Loys, Lord Berresford. By 
" The Duchess " 10 

582 Lucia, Hugh and Another. By 
Mrs. J. H. Needell 20 

589 Luck of the Darrells, The. By 
James Payn 20 

901 Lucky Disappointment, A. By 
Florence Marryat 10 

370 Lucy Crof ton. Mrs. Oliphant 10 
1155 Lured Away; or, The Story of 
a Wedding-Ring. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme 20 

44 Macleod of Dare. By William 

Black 20 

526 Madame De Presnel. By E. 

Frances Poynter 90 

345 Madam. By Mrs. Oliphant... 20 
1127 Madam Midas. By Fergus W. 

Hume 90 

78 Madcap Violet. By Wm. Black 20 
1004 Mad Dumaresq. By Florence 

Marryat 20 

510 Mad Love, A. By the author of 

" Lover and Lord " 10 

1014 Mad Love, A. By Charlotte M, 
Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 90 

00 Madolin's Lover. By Charlotte 
_lLBraeine , 20 



IS 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pogket Edition. 



341 Madolin Rivers; or, The Little 

Beauty of Red Oak Seminary, 

By Laura Jean Libbey 20 

377 Magdalen Hepburn : A Story of 

the Scottish Reformation. By 

Mrs. Oliphant 20 

494 Maiden All Forlorn, A. By 

" The Duchess " 10 

64 Maiden Fair, A. By Charles 

Gibbon 10 

121 Maid of Athens. By Justin 

McCarthy 20 

633 Maid of Sker, The. By R. D. 

Blackmore. 1st half 20 

633 Maid of Sker, The. By R. D. 

Blackmore. 2d half 20 

229 Maid, Wife, or Widow? By 

Mrs. Alexander 10 

1105 Maiwa's Revenge. By H. Ri- 
der Haggard 20 

1019 Major and Minor. By W, E. 

Norris. 1st half 20 

1019 Major and Minor. By W. E. 

Norris. 2d half 20 

803 Major Frank. By A. L. G. Bos- 

boom-Toussaint 20 

702 Man and Wife. By Wilkie Col- 
lins. 1st half... 20 

702 Man and Wife. By Wiikie Col- 
lins. 2d half 20 

377 Man of His Word, A. By W. 

E. Norris 10 

688 Man of Honor, A. By John 

Strange Winter. Illustrated. 10 
217 Man Slie Cared For, The. By 

F. W. Robinson 20 

371 Margaret Maitland. By Mrs. 

Oliphant 20 

755 Margery Daw. A Novel 20 

93-2 Marjorie. By Charlotte M, 
Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 20 

451 Market Harborough. and In- 
side the Bar. By G. J. Whyte- 
Melville 20 

773 Mark of Cain, The. By Andrew 

Lang 10 

J002 Marriage at a Venture. By 

Emile Gaboriau 20 

334 Marriage of Convenience, A. 
By Harriett Jay 10 

480 Married in Haste. Edited by 
Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

476 Married in Haste; or. Between 
Two Sins. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme 20 

992 Marrying and Giving in Mar- 
riage. By Mrs. Moles worth.. 20 
1047 Marvel. By "The Duchess".. 20 
615 Mary Anerley. By R. D. Black- 
more 20 

1058 Masaniello; or. The Fisherman 
of Naples. By Alexander Du- 
mas 20 

183 Master Humphi-ey's Clock. By 

Charles Dickens 1 10 

646 Master of the Mine, The. By 
Robert Buchanan 20 



825 Master Passion, The. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

1085 Matapan Affair, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey. 1st half 30 

1085 Matapan Affair, The. By F. 

Du Boisgobey. 2d half ... 20 

578 Mathias Sandorf. By Jules 
Verne. (Illustrated.) Parti. 10 

578 Mathias Sandorf. By Jules 
Verne. (Illustrated.) Part II 10 

578 Mathias Sandorf. By Jules 
Verne. (Illustrated.) "PartlU 10 

398 Matt: A Tale of a Caravan. 
By Robert Buchanan 10 

723 Mauleverer's Millions. By T. 
Wemyss Reid 20 

330 May Blossom; or, Between 
Two Loves. By Margaret Lee 80 

791 Mayor of Casterbridge, The. 
By Thomas Hardy 20 

337 Memoirs and Resolutions of 
Adam Graeme of Mossgray, 
including some Chronicles of 
the Borough of Fendie. By 
Mrs. Oliphant , 20 

771 Mental Struggle, A. By " The 
Duchess " 20 

424 Mercedes of Castile ; or, Tne 
Voyage to Cathay. By J. Fen- 
imore Cooper 20 

406 Merchant's Clerk, The. By 
Samuel Warren . . ; 10 

940 Merry Men, The, and Other 
Tales and Fables. By Robert 

Louis Stevenson 20 

1020 Michael Strogoff; or. The Cou- 
rier of the Czar. Jules Verne 80 
31 Middlemarch. By George Eliot. 

1st half 20 

31 Middlemarch. By George Eliot. 
2d half 20 

187 Midnight Sun, The. By Fred- 
rika Bremer 10 

763 Midshipman, The, Marmaduke 
BTerry. Wm. H. G. Kingston . 20 

729 Mignou. By Mrs. Forrester.. 20 

492 Mignon ; or, Booties' Baby. By 

J. S. Winter. Illustrated .... 10 
1032 Mignon's Husband. By John 

Strange Winter 20 

876 Mignon's Secret. By John 
Strange Winter 10 

693 Mikado, The, and Other Comic 
Operas. Written by W. S. 
Gilbert. Composed by Arthur 
Sullivan SO 

390 Mildred Trevanion. By " The 
Duchess " 10 

414 Miles WalJingford. (Sequel to 
" Afloat and Ashore.") By J. 

Fenimore Cooper 20 

3 Mill on the Floss, The. By 
George Eliot 28 

929 Miller's Daughter, The; or. The 
Belle of Lynn. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dor* 
Thorne".... 30 

157 Milly's Hero. F. W. Robinson 20 

182 Millionaire, The 30 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



18 



205 Minister's Wife, The. By Mrs. 

Oliphant 30 

1051 Migadventures of John Nichol- 
son, The. By Robert Louis 
Stevenson 10 

399 Miss Brown. By Vernon Lee. 20 

369 Miss Bretherton. By Mrs. Hum- 
phry Ward 10 

1007 Miss Gaseoigue. By Mrs. J. 

H. Riddell 20 

866 Miss Harrington's Husband; 
or, Spiders of Society. By 
Florence Marryat 20 

345 Miss Tommy. By Miss Mulock 10 

315 Mistletoe Bough, The. Edited 
by Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

618 Mistletoe Bough, The. Christ- 
mas, 1885. Edited by Miss M. 
E. Braddon. 20 

890 Mistletoe Bough, The. Christ- 
mas, 1886. Edited by Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

1038 Mistress and Maid. By Miss 

Mulock 20 

1030 Mistress of Ibichstein, By Fr. 

Heukel 20 

298 Mitchelhurst Place. By Marga- 
ret Veley 10 

584 Mixed Motives 10 

1091 Modern Cinderella, A. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme 10 

1016 Modern Circe, A. By ''The 

Duchess " . . 20 

887 Modern Teiemachus'A."* By 
Charlotte M. Yonge 20 

881 Mohawks. By Miss M. E. Brad- 
don. 1st half 20 

881 Mohawks. By Miss M. E. Brad- 
don. 2d half 20 

2 MollyBawn. " The Duchess " 20 

159 Moment of Madness, A. By 
Florence Marryat 10 

125 Monarch of Mincing Lane, The. 

By William Black. 20 

1054 Moua's Choice. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander 20 

201 Monastery, The. By Sir Walter 
Scott 20 

119 Monica, and A Rose Distill'd. 
By " The Duchess " 10 

431 Monikins.The. ByJ. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

26 Monsieur Lecoq. By Emile 
Gaboriau. Vol. 1 20 

26 Monsieur Lecoq. By Emile 

Gaboriau. Vol. H. . ." 20 

166 Moonshine and Marguerites. 

By " The Duchess " 10 

102 Moonstone, The. By Wilkie 

Collins 20 

303 Blore Bitter than Death. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme 10 

178 More Leaves from the Journal 

of a Life in the Highlands. 

By Queen Victoria 10 

116 Moths. By " Ouida " 20 

495 Mount Royal. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon ., 90 

<9 



501 Mr. Butler's Ward. By F. Ma- 
bel Robinson 20 

1100 Mr. Meeson's Will. By H. Ri- 
der Haggard 20 

113 Mrs. Carr's Companion. By M. 
G. Wightwick 10 

675 Mrs. Dymond. By Miss Thack- 
eray 30 

25 Mrs.GeoflErey. " The Duchess." 
(Large type edition) 20 

950 Mrs. Geoffrey. "The Duchess" 10 

606 Mrs. HoUyer. By Georgiana M. 

546 Mrs. Keith's Crime . . '. '. . . . . .... 10 

440 Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings. By 
Charles Dickens 10 

645 Mrs. Smith of Longmains. By 
Rhoda Broughton 10 

339 Mrs. Vereker's Courier Maid. 
By Mrs. Alexander 10 

991 Mr. Midshipman Easy. By 
Captain Marrvat 20 

256 Mr. Smith: A Part of His Life. 
By B. L. Walford 20 

635 Murder or Manslaughter? By 
Helen B. Mathers 10 

596 My Ducats and My Daughter. 
By the author of " The Crime 

of Christmas Day " 30 

1145 My Fellow Laborer. By H. 

Rider Haggard — . 20 

848 My Friend Jim, W. E. Norris 20 

405 My Friends and I. Edited by 
Julian Sturgis. 10 

726 My Hero. By Mrs. Forrester. 20 
1066 My Husband and I. By Count 

Lyof Tolstoi 10 

799 My Lady Green Sleeves. By 
Helen B. Mathers 20 

623 My Ladv's Money. By Wilkie 
CoUins: 10 

724 My Lord and My Lady. By 
Mrs. Forrester 20 

863 "My Own Child." By Florence 
Marryat 30 

504 My Poor Wife. By the author 
of " Addie's Husband " 10 

433 My Sister Kate. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 10 

861 My Sister the Actress. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

271 Mysteries of Paris, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Pait I . . 30 

271 MysteriesofParis, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Part H 30 

366 Mysterious Hunter, The; or. 
The Man of Death. By Capt. 
L. C. Carleton 20 

255 Mystery, The. By Mrs. .Henry 
Wood \ .. 20 

1075 Mystery of a Hansom Cab, \,^ie. 

By Fergus W. Hume 20 

662 Mystery of Allan Grale, The. ^ 
By Isabelli Fyvie Mayo 20 

1076 Mystery of an Omnibus, The. 

By F. Du Boisgobey 20 

1125 Mystery of a Turkish Bath, The 
By "Rita" 10 



14 



THE SEASIDE LIBRAEY— Pocket Edition. 



9M Mystery of Colde Fell, The; or, 
Not Proven. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of "Dora 
Thome" 20 

454 Mystery of Edwin Drood, The. 
By Chas. Dickens 20 

514 Mystery of Jessy Page, The, 
and Other Tales. By Mrs. 

Henry Wood 10 

43 Mystery of Orcival, The. By 
Emile Gaboriau 20 

985 Mystery of the Holly-Tree, 
The. By Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of " Dora Thorne "... 20 

725 My Ten Years' Imprisonment. 
By Silvio Pellico 10 

612 My Wife's Niece. By author 
of "Doctor Edith Romney ". 20 

666 My Yoxing Alcides. By Char- 
lotte M. Yonge , 20 

574 Nabob, The: A Story of Paris- 
ian Life and Manners. By Al- 

phonse Daudet 20 

1012 Nameless Sin, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 20 

227 Nancy. By Rhoda Broughton 20 

509 NellHaffenden. By Tighe Hop- 
kins 20 

936 Nellie's Memories. By Rosa 
Nouchette Carey. 1st half. . . 20 

936 Nellie's Memories. By Rosa 
Nouchette Carey. 2d half... 20 

181 New Abelard, The. By Robert 
Buchanan 10 

856 New Arabian Nights. By Rob- 
ert Louis Stevenson 20 

464 Newcomes, The. By William 
Makepeace Thackeray. Part 
1 20 

464 Newcomes, The. By William 
Makepeace Thackeray. Part 

n..... 20 

52 New Magdalen, The. By Wilkie 

Collins 10 

1023 Next of Kin— Wanted. By M. 

Betham-Ed wards 20 

37 Nicholas Nickleby. By Charles 

Dickens. 1st half 20 

37 Nicholas Nickleby. By Charles 
Dickens. 2d half. 20 

909 Nine of Hearts, The. By B. L. 

Farjeon 20 

1005 99 Dark Street. By F. W. Rob- 
inson 20 

105 Noble Wife, A. ^ John Saunders 20 

864 " No Intentions." By Florence 
Marryat 20 

565 No Medium. By Annie Thomas 10 

1119 No Name. By Wilkie Collins. 

1st half 20 

1119 No Name. By Wilkie Collins. 

2d half 20 

1086 Nora. By Carl Detlef 20 

290 Nora's Love Test. By Mary 
Cecil Hay 20 

595 North Country Maid, A. By 
Mrs. H. Lovett Cameron 20 



1011 North Versus South; or, Ter- "^ 
ar's Vengeance. By Jules 
Verne. Parts I. and II 8C 

812 No Saint. By AdeUne Sergeant 20 

168 No Thoroughfare. By Dickens 
and Collins 10 

215 Not Like Other Girls. By Rosa 
Nouchette Carey . . 20 

969 Not Proven; or, The Mystery 
of Colde Fell. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme 30 

765 Not Wisely, But Too Well. By 

Rhoda Broughton 20 

614 No. 99. By Arthur Griffiths.. 10 

766 No. XIII. ; or. The Story of the 

Lost Vestal. Emma Marshall 10 
1077 Nim's Curse, The. By Mrs. J. 

H. Riddell 20 

640 Nuttie's Father. By Charlotte 
M. Yonge 30 

425 Oak-Openings, The; or. The 

Bee-Hunter. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

211 Octoroon, The. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 10 

1088 Old Age of M. Lecoq, The. By 

F. Du Boisgobey. 1st half.... 20 
1088 Old Age of M. Lecoq, The. By 

F. Du Boisgobey. 2d half . . . . 20 
183 Old Contrairy, and Other Sto- 
ries. By Florence Marryat.. 10 
10 Old Curiosity Shop, The. By 

Charles Dickens 20 

410 Old Lady Mary. By Mrs. Oli- 

phant 10 

858 Old Ma'm'selle's Secret. By E. 

Marlitt 90 

72 Old Myddelton's Money. By 

Mary Cecil Hay 20 

645 OUver's Bride. By Mrs. Oli- 

phant 10 

41 Oliver Twist. By Charles 

Dickens 20 

605 Ombra. By Mrs. Oliphant. ... 90 
280 Omnia Vanitas. A. Tale of So- 
ciety. By Mrs. Forrester 10 

883 Once Again. By Mrs. Forrester 30 
143 One False, Both Fair. By John 

B. Harwood 20 

342 One New Year's Eve. By " The 

Duchess" 10 

840 One Thing Needful; or, The-- 

Penalty of Fate. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

1049 On Going Back. By H. Rider 

Haggard 20 

985 On Her Wedding Morn. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme 30 

384 On Horseback Through Asia 

Minor. By Captain Fred Bur- 

naby. . . 20 

498 Only a Clod. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 30 

1072 Only a Coral Girl. By Gertrude 

Forde 90 

1112 Only a Word. By George Ebers 90 
496 Only a Woman. Edited by Miss 

M. E. Braddon 30 



n 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



15 



1064 Only the Governess. By Rosa 

Nouchette Carey 20 

8S5 Open Door, The. ' By Mrs. Oli- 
phant 10 

998 Open, Sesame ! By Florence 
Marryat 20 

708 Ormohd. By Maria Edgeworth 20 
12 Other People's Money. By 
Em-ile Gaboriau 20 

639 Othmar. By " Ouida." 1st half 20 

689 Othmar. By " Ouida." 2d half 20 

859 Ottilie : An Eighteenth Century 
Idyl. By Vernon Lee 20 

838 Ought We to Visit Her? By 
Mrs. Annie Edwards 20 

liJl Our Mutual Friend. By Charles 
Dickens. 1st half. . .S 20 

131 Our Mutual Friend. By Charles 

Dickens. 2d half 20 

1133 Our New Mistress; or, Changes 
at Brookfleld Earl. By Char- 
lotte M. Yonge 20 

747 Our Sensation Novel. Edited 
by Justin H. McCarthy, M.P. 10 

925 Outsider, The. Hawley Smart 20 

870 Out of His Reckoning. By 

Florence Marryat 10 

1130 Owl-House, The. A Posthu- 
mous Novel. By E. Marlitt. 
Finished by W. Heimburg. . . 20 



530 Pair of Blue Eyes, A. By 

Thomas Hardy 20 

587 Parson o' Dumford, The. By 
G. Manvill© Feun 20 

238 Pascarel. By " Ouida " 20 

1107 Passenger from Scotland 

Yard, The. By H. F. Wood. . 20 

822 Passion Flower, A. A Novel.. 20 

517 Passive Crime, A, and Other 
Stories. By " The Duchess " 10 

886 PastOD Carew, Millionaire and 
Miser. Mrs. E. Lynn Linton 20 

309 Pathfinder, The. By J. Feni- 
more Cooper 20 

720 Paul Clifford. By SlrE.Bulwer 
Lytton, Bart 20 

571 Paul Carew's Story. By Alice 
Comyns Carr 10 

525 Paul Vargas, and Other Stor- 
ies. By Hugh Conway, au- 
thor of " Called Back " 10 

994 Penniless Orphan, A. By W. 
Heimburg 20 

449 Peeress and Player. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

613 Percy and the Prophet. By 
Wilkie Collins 10 

776 P§re Goriot. By H. De Balzac 20 

314 Peril. By Jessie Fothergill ... 20 

965 Periwinkle. By Arnold Gray. 20 

568 Perpetual Cuiate, The. By Mrs. 
Oliphant 20 

133 Peter the Whaler. By William 
H. G. Kingston 10 

868 Petronel. By Florence Marryat 20 

398 Peveril of the Peak. By Sir 
Walter Scott 20 



326 Phantastes. A Faerie Romance 
for Men and Women. By 

George Macdonald 10 

56 Phantom Fortune. By Miss M. 
E. Braddon 20 

845 Philip Earnscliffe; or, The Mor- 
als of May Fair. By Mrs. 
Annie Edwards 20 

336 Philistia. By Cecil Power.... 20 

669 Philosophy of Whist, The. By 
William Pole 30 

903 Phyllida. By Florence Marryat 20 
16 Phyllis. By "The Duchess". 20 

372 Phyllis' Probation.. By the au- 
thor of " His W^dfled Wife ". 10 

537 Piccadilly. Laurence Oliphant 10 
24 Pickwick Papers. By Charles 

Dickens. Vol. 1 20 

24 Pickwick Papers. By Charles 
Dickens. Vol. II 20 

448 Mctures From Italy, and The 
Mudfog Papers, &c. By Chas. 
Dickens 20 

206 Picture, The. By Charles 

Reade 10 

264 Pi6douche, a French Detective. 
By Fortune Du Boisgobey. . . 10 

318 Pioneers, The ; or. The Sources 
of the Susquehanna. By J. 
Fenimore Cooper 20 

393 Pirate, The. Sir Walter Scott 20 

850 Play Wright's Daughter, A. By 
Mrs. Annie Edwards 10 

818 Pluck. By John Strange Winter 10 

869 Poison of Asps, The, By Flor- 
ence Marryat 10 

836 Point of Honor, A. By Mrs. An- 
nie Edwards 20 

1069 Polikouchka. By Count Lyof 

Tolstoi 10 

329 Polish Jew, The. (Translated 
from the French by Caroline 
A. Merighi.) By Erckmann- 
Chatrian 10 

831 Pomegranate Seed. By the au- 
thor of " The Two Miss Flem- 
ings." 20 

902 Poor Gentleman, A. By Mrs. 
Oliphant 20 

325 Portent, The. By George Mac- 
donald 10 

6 Portia. By "The Duchess "..20 

655 Portrait, The. By Mrs. Oliphant 10 

558 Povert,y Corner. By G. Man- 
ville Fenn 20 

310 Prairie, The. By J. Fenimore 
Cooper 20 

422 Precaution. By J. Fenimore 
Cooper ^^ 20 

828 Prettiest Woman in Warsaw, 
The. By Mabel Collins 20 

697 Pretty Jailer, The, By F. Du 
Boisgobey. 1st half 20 

697 Pretty Jailer, The. By F. Du 
Boisgobey. 2d half 20 

207 Pretty Miss Neville. By B. M. 

Croker 20 

475 Prima Donna's Husband, The. 
By F. Du Boisgobey 80 



16 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



631 Prime Minister, The. By An- 
thony TroUope. 1st half 20 

531 Prinoe Minister, The. By An- 
thony Trollope. :^d half 20 

624 Primus iu ludis. By M. J. Col- 

quhoun 10 

1187 Prince Charming. By the au- 
thor of "A Great Mistake ". . 20 

249 "Prince Charlie's Daughter;" 
or. The Cost of Her Love. By 
Chai-lotte M. Braeme 10 

1156 Prince of Darkness, A. By F 
Warden 20 

859 Prince of the 100 Soups, The. 
Edited by Vernon Lee 20 

t04 Prince Otto. R. L. Stevenson. 10 

855 Princess Dagomar of Poland. 
The. HeinrichFelbermann, 10 

228 Princess Napraxine. "Ouida" 20 
1136 Princess of the Moor, The. By 

E. Marlitt ^ . . . 20 

23 Princess of Thule, A. By Will- 
iam Black 20 

1117 Princess Sarah. By John 
Strange Winter 10 

-88 Privateersman, The. By Cap- 
tain Marryat 20 

321 Prodigals, The: And Their In- 
heritance. By Mrs. Oliphant. 10 

944 Professor, The. By Charlotte 
Bront6 20 

144 Promises of Marriage. By 
Emile Gaboriau 10 

360 Proper Pride. By B. M. Croker 10 

947 Publicans and Sinners; or. Lu- 
cius Davoi-en. By Miss M. E. 
Braddon. 1st half 20 

947 Publicans and Sinners; or, Lu- 
cius Davoren. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon. 2d half 20 

1000 Puck. By "Ouida." 1st half 20 
1000 Puck. By " Ouida." 2d half 20 

912 Pure Gold. By Mrs. H. Lovett 
Cameron. 1st half 20 

912 Pure Gold. By Mrs. H. Lovett 
Cameron. 2d half 20 

616 Put Asunder ; or. Lady Castle- 
maine's Divorce. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 20 

487 Put to the Test. Edited by 
Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

214 Put Yourself in His Place. By 
Charles Reade 20 



68 Queen Amongst Women, A. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme..* 10 

932 Queenie'sWhim. ByRosaNou- 
chette Carey. 1st half 20 

982 Queenie'sWhim. ByRosaNou- 
chette Carey. 2d half 20 

591 Queen of Hearts, The. By Wil- 

kie Collins 20 

1061 Queer Race, A: The Story of 
a Strange People. By William 
Westall • 20 



641 Rabbi's Spp'l, The. By Stuart 
C. Cumberland 10 

147 Rachel Ray. By Anthony Trol- 
lope 20 

661 Rainbow Gold. By David Chris- 
tie Murray 20 

433 Rainy June, A. Bv " Ouida ". 10 

700 Ralph the Heir. By Anthony 
Trollope. 1st half 20 

700 Ralph the Heir. By Anthony 
Trollope. 2d half 20 

815 Ralph Wilton's Weird. By Mrs. 
Alexander •. 10 

442 Ranthorpe. By George Henry 
Lewes 90 

780 Rare Pale Margaret. By the au- 
thor of " What's His Offence?" 20 

279 Rattlin, the Reefer. By Captain 
Marryat 20 

327 Raymond's Atonement. (From 
the German of E. Werner.) 
By Christina Tyrrell HO 

210 Readiana: Comments oh Cur- 
rent Events. By Chas. Reade 10 

1138 Recoihng Vengeance, A. By 

Frank Barrett 20 

, 768 Red as a Rose is She. By Rhoda 

Broughton 30 

918 Red Band, The. By F. Du Bois- 
gobey. 1st half 20 

918 Red Band, The. By F. Du Bois- 
gobey. 2d half 20 

381 Red Cardinal, The. By Frances 
Elliot 10 

1021 Red-Court Farm, The. By Mrs. 

Henry Wood SO 

73 Redeemed by Love; or, Love's 
Victory. By Charlotte M. 

Braeme 20 

89 Red Eric, The. By R. M. Ballan- 
tyne - 10 

463 Redgauntlet. By Sir Walter 
Scott 20 

580 Red Route, The. By William 
Sime 30 

361 Red Rover, The. A Tale of the 
Sea. By J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

421 Redskins, The; or, Indian and 
Injin. Being the conclusion 
of the Littlepage Manuscripts. 
By J. Fenimore Cooper. . .... 20 

427 Remarkable History of Sir 
Thomas Upmore, Bart., M.P., 
The. Formerly known as 
"Tommy Upmore." By R. 
D. Blackmore 20 

237 Repented at Leisure. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne." (Large type 
edition) 90 

967 Repented at Leisure. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 10 

1146 Rhoda Fleming. By George 

Meredith. 1st half 20 

1146 Rhoda Fleming. By George 

Meredith. 2d half »> 

740 Rhona. By Mrs. Forrester.... SQ 



'W 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



17 



trS Bide to Khiva, A. By Captain 
Fred Burnaby, of the Royal 

Horse Guards 20 

1144 Rienxi. By Sir K Bulwer Lyt- 

ton. 1st half 20 

1144 Rienzi. By Sir E. Bulwer Lyt- 

ton. Sdhalf 20 

1116 Robert Elsmere. By Mrs. 

Humphry Ward. 1st half.... 20 
1116 Robert Elsmere, By Mrs. 

Humphry Ward. 2d half.... 20 
396 Robert Ord's Atonement. By 

Rosa Nouchette Carey 20 

976 Robur the Conqueror; or, A 
Trip Round the World in a 
Flying Machine. By Jules 

Verne 20 

1141 Rogue, The. By W. E. Norris. 

1st half 20 

1141 Rogue, The. By W. E. Norris. 

2d half 20 

816 Rogues and Vagabonds. By 
George R. Sims, author of 

" 'Ostler Joe " 20 

190 Romance of a Black Veil. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 

ot "Dora Thorne" 10 

741 Romance of a Young Girl, The ; 
or, The Heiress of Hilldrop. 

By Charlotte M. Braeme 20 

66 Romance of a Poor Young Man, 

The. By Octave Feuillet — 10 
139 Romantic Adventures of a 
Milkmaid, The. By Thomas 

Hardy 10 

898 Romeo and Juliet: A Tale of 
Two Young Fools. By Will- 
iam Black 20 

42 Romola. By George Eliot. ... 20 
860 Ropes of Sand . By R. E. Fran- 

cillon 20 

664 Rory O'More. Samuel Lover 20 
193 Rosery Folk, The. By G. Man- 

ville Fenn.. 10 

670 Rose and the Ring, The. By 

W. M. Thackeray. Illustrated 10 
119 Rose Distill'd, A. By "The 

Duchess " 10 

108 Rose Fleming. By Dora Russell 10 

996 Rose in Thorns, A. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

"Dora Thome" 10 

129 Rossmoyne. By "The Duchess" 10 
180 Round the Galley Fire. By W. 

Clark Russell 10 

1153 Round the Moon. By Jules 

Verne. Illustrated 20 

566 Royal Highlanders, The; or, 

The Black Watch in Egypt. 

By James Grant 20 

736 R(iy and Viola. Mrs. Forrester 20 
409 Roy's Wife. By G. J. Whyte- 

Melville 20 

489 Rupert Godwin. ByMissM. E. 

Braddon 20 

457 Russians at the Gates of Herat, 

The. By Charles Marviii. ... 10 



962 Sabina Zembra. By William 

Black. 1st half 20 

962 Sabina Zembra. By William 

Black. 2d half 20 

616 Sacred Nugget, The. By B. L. 

Farjeon 30 

1067 Saint Michael. By E. Werner. 

.1st half 80 

1067 Saint Michael. By E. Werner. 

2d half 20 

223 Sailor's Sweetheart, A. By W. 

Clark Russell 20 

177 Salem Chapel. Mrs.Oliphant 20 
795 Sam's Sweetheart. By Helen 

B, Mathers - 20 

4Si0 Satanstoe ; or. The Littlepage 

Manuscripts. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

1037 Scheherazade : ALondon 

Night's Entertainment. By 

Florence Warden 20 

660 Scottish Chiefs, The. By Miss 

Jane Porter. 1st half 20 

660 Scottish Chiefs, The. By Miss 

Jane Porter. 2d half 20 

699 Sculptor's Daughter, The. By 

F. Du Boisgobey. 1st hall ... 20 
699 Sculptor's Daughter, The. By 

F. Du Boisgobey. 2d half- ... 20 
441 Sea Change, A. By Flora L. 

Shaw 20 

82 Sealed Lips. - F. Du Boisgobey 20 
423 Sea Lions, The ; or. The Lost 

Sealers. By J. F. Cooper. ... 20 
85 Sea Queen, A. By W. Clark 

Russell 20 

1108 Sebastopol. By Count Lyof 

Tolstoi 20 

490 Second Life, A. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander 20 

101 Second Thoughts. By Rhoda 

Broughton 20 

999 Second Wife, The. By E. Mar- 

litt 90 

781 Secret Dispatch, The. By 

James Grant ^-* . . . . 10 

810 Secret of Her Life, The. By Ed 

ward Jenkins — , 20 

387 Secret of the Cliffs, The. By 

Charlotte French 20 

607 Self-Doomed. By B. L. Farjeon 10 
651 " SelE or Bearer." By Walter 

Besant 10 

474 Serapis. By George Eberg.... 20 

792 Set in Diamonds. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 

Thorne" 20 

1082 Severed Hand, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey. 1st half 20 

1082 Severed Biand, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey, 2d half 20 

548 Shadow in the Corner, The. By 
Miss M, E, Braddon 10 

445 Shadow of a Crime, The. By 
Hall Caine 30 

293 Shadow of a Sin, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"Dora Thorne" ,, 10 



18 



THE SEASIDE LTBRAET— Pocket Edition. 



948 Shadow of a Sin, The, By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme. (Large type 

edition) 20 

18 Shandon Bells. By Wm. Black 20 

988 Shattered Idol, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"DoraThorne" 20 

910 She: A History of Adventure. 
By H. Rider Haggard 20 

141 She Loved Him! By Annie 
Thomas 10 

520 She's All the World to Me. By 
Hall Caine 10 

801 She Stoops to Conquer. By 

Oliver Groldsmith 10 

57 Shirley. By Charlotte Bront6 20 

»66 Siege Baby, A. By John 
Strange Winter 20 

239 Signa. By " Ouida " 20 

1052 Signa's Sweetheart. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 20 

707 Silas Marner : The Weaver of 

Raveloe. By George Eliot. . . 10 
J034 Silence of Dean Maitland, The. 

By Maxwell Gray 20 

913 Silent Shore. The. By John 

Bloundelle- Burton 20 

1110 Silverado Squatters, The. By 
R. L. Stevenson 10 

539 Silvermead. By Jean Middle- 
mas 20 

681 Singer's Story, A. By May 
Laffan 10 

852 Sinless Secret, A. By " Rita " 10 

283 Sin of a Lifetime, The. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 10 

615 Sir Jasper's Tenant. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 20 

1114 Sisters, The. By George Ebers 20 

643 Sketch-book of Geoffrey Cray- 
on, Gent, The. By Washing- 
ton Irving 20 

'^Q Sketches by Boz. Illustrative 
of Every-day Life and Every- 
day People. By Charles Dick- 
ens 20 

1078 Slaves of Paris, The.— Black- 
mail. By Emile Gaboriau. 1st 

half 20 

1078 Slaves of Paris, The. — The 
Champdoce Secret. By Emile 
Gaboriau. 2d half 20 

601 Slings and Arrows, and other 
Stories. By Hugh Conway, 
author of "Called Back"... 10 

491 Society in London. By a For- 
eign Resident 10 

505 Society of London, The. By 
Count Paul Vasili 10 

778 Society's Verdict. By the au- 
thor of " My Marriage " 20 

114 Some of Our Girls. By Mrs. C. 
J. Eiloart 20 

412 Some One Else. B. M. Croker 20 

194 "So Near, and Yet So Far!" 
By AMgon....,, 10 



880 Son of His Father, The. By 
Mrs. Oliphant 20 

368 Southern Star, The : or. The 
Diamond Land. Jules Verne 80 

926 Springhaven. By R. D. Blacks 
more. 1st half 20 

926 Springhaven. By R. D. Black- 
more. 2d half 20 

63 Spy, The. J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

793 Squire's Darling, The. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 20 

281 Squire's Legacy, The. By Mary 
Cecil Hay 20 

817 Stabbed in the Dark. By Mrs. 
E. Lynn Linton 10 

895 Star and a Heart, A. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 10 

158 Starling, The. By Norman 
Macleod, D.D 10 

436 Stella. By Fanny Lewald.... 20 

802 Stern Chase, A. By Mrs. 
Cashel-Hoey 20 

846 Steven Lawrence. By Mrs. 
Annie Edwards. 1st half 20 

846 Steven Lawrence. By Mrs. 
Annie Edwards. 2d half 20 

145 " Storm-Beaten :" God and The 

Man. By Robert Buchanan. 20 
1074 Stormy Waters. By Robert 

Buchanan 20 

1120 Story of an African Farm, The. 
By Ralph Iron (Olive Schrei- 
ner.) 20 

673 Story of a Sin. By Helen B. 
Mathers 20 

610 Story of Dorothy (jrape. The, 
and Other Tales. By Mrs. 

Henry Wood 10 

53 Story of Ida, The. By Fran- 

cesca 10 

1096 Strange Adventures of a 
House - Boat, The. By Will- 
iam Black 20 

50 Strange Adventures of a Phae- 
ton, The. By William BJack. 20 

756 Strange Adventures of Captain 
Dangerous, The. By George 
Augustus Sala 20 

686 Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and 
Mr. Hyde. By Robert Louis 
Stevenson 10 

524 Strangers and Pilgrinis. By 

Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

83 Strange Story, A. By Sir E. 
Bulwer Lytton 20 

502 Strange Voyage, A. By W. 
Clark Russell 20 

511 Strange World, A. By Miss M. 
E. Braddon 20 

974 Strath more; or. Wrought by 
His Own Hand. By " Ouida." 
1st half 30 

974 Strathmore; or, Wrought by 
His Own Hand. By " Ouida." 
2d half 20 

418 St. Ronan's Well. By Sir Wal- 
ter Scott ,, ^ 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



19 



.550 Struck Down. Hawley Smart 10 

467 Struggle for a Ring, A. Char- 
lotte M. Braeme 20 

71 Struggle for Fame, A. By Mrs. 
J. H. Riddell 20 

T45 Sti'uggle for Love, A ; or, For 
Another's Sin. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 20 

964 Struggle for the Right, A; or, 
Tracldng the Truth 20 

222 Sun-Maid, The. By Miss Grant 20 
21 Sunrise: A Story of These 
Times. By Wm . Black 20 

850 Sunshine and Roses; or, Di- 
ana's Discipline. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of "Dora 
Thorne" 10 

363 Surgeon's Daughter, The. By 
Sir Walter Scott 10 

277 Surgeon's Daughters, The, By 
Mrs. Henry Wood 10 

844 Susan Fielding. Bv Mrs. Annie 
Edwards , 20 

927 Sweet Cymbeliue. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Tliorne " 20 

123 Sweet is True Love. By " The 
Duchess " 10 

316 Sworn to Silence; or, Aline 
Rodney's Secret. By Mrs. 
Alex. McVeigh Miller 20 

»59 Taken at the Flood. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 20 

117 Tale of the Shore and Ocean, 

A. By Wm. H. G. Kingston . . 20 
1049 Tale of Three Lions, A. By H. 

Rider Haggard 20 

77 Tale of Two Cities, A. By 

Charles Dickens 20 

343 Talk of the Town, The. By 

James Payn 20 

1142 Ten Thousand a Year. By 

Samuel Warren. Part 1 20 

1142 Ten Thousand a Year. By 

Samuel Warren. Part II 20 

1142 Ten Thousand a Year. By 

Samuel Warren. Part III 20 

213 Terrible Temptation, A. By 

Clias. Reade 20 

1011 Texar's Vengeance ; or. North 
Versus South. By Jules Verne. 

Part 1 20 

1011 Texar's Vengeance ; or, North 
Versus South. By Jules Verne. 

Part II 20 

696 Thaddeus of Warsaw. By Miss 

Jane Porter 20 

995 That Beautiful Lady. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

" Dora Tliorue " 20 

49 That Beautiful Wretch. By 

William Black 20 

186 "That Last Rehearsal," and 
Other Stories. By "The 
Duchess" 10 



915 That Other Person. By Mrs. 

Alfred Hunt. 1st half 20 

915 That Other Person. By Mrs. 

Alfred Hunt. 2d half 30 

355 That Terrible Man. By W. E. 

Norris 10 

892 That Winter Night; or, Love's 

Victory. Robert Buchanan.. 10 
1131 Thelma. By Marie CoreUi. 

1st half... 20 

1131 Thelma. By Marie CoreUi. 3d 

half 29 

48 Thicker than Water. By 

James Payn 20 

184 Thirlby Hall. By W. E. Norris 20 
1045 13th Hussars, The. By Emile 

Gaboriau 20 

1008 Thorn in Her Heart, A. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 20 

148 Thorns and Orange-Blossoms. 
By Charlotte M. Braeme, au- 
thor of " Dora Thoi-ne " 10 

1015 Thousand Francs Reward, A. 

By Emile Gaboriau 20 

275 Three Brides, The. By Char- 
lotte M. Yonge 10 

775 Three Clerks,The. By Anthony 
TroUope 20 

124 Three Feathers. By Wm. Black 20 
55 Three Guardsmen, The. By 
Alexander Dumas 20 

382 Three Sisters ; or, Sketches of 
a Highly Original Family. 
By Elsa D'Esterre-Keeling... 10 
1109 Through the Long Nights. By 

Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. 1st half 20 
1109 Through the Long Nights. By 
Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. 2d half 30 

789 Through the Looking-Glass, 
and What Alice Found There. 
By Lewis Carroll. With fifty 
illustrations by John Tenniel. 30 

471 Thrown on the World. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne ". 20 

833 Ticket No. "9672." B> Jules 
Verne. 1st half 10 

833 Ticket No. " 9672." By Jules 
Verne. 2d half 10 

367 Tie and Trick. Hawley Smart 20 

485 Tinted Vapours. J. Maclaren 
Cobban 10 

503 Tinted Venus, The. F.Anstey. 10 

980 To Call Her Mine. By Walter 

Besant 20 

1139 Tom Brown at Oxford. By 

Thomas Hughes. Vol. 1 20 

1139 Tom Brown at Oxford. By 

Thomas Hughes. Vol. II. . . , 30 

120 Tom Brown's School Days at 
Rugby. By Thomas Hughes. 20 

243 Tom JBurke of "Ours." By 
Charles Lever. 1st half 20 

243 Tom Burke of " Ours." By 

Charles Lever. 2d half 20 

1081 Too Curious. By Edward J. 

Goodman 20 



so 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket EditioiT. 



857 To the Bitter End. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

879 Touchstone of Peril, The. By 

R. E. Forrest 20 

1050 Tour of the World in 80 Days, 

The. By Jules Verne 20 

888 Treasure Island. Robert Louis 

Stevenson 10 

1017 Tricotrin. The Story of a Waif 

and Stray. By"Ouida." ist 

half 20 

1017 Tricotrin. The Storv of a AVaif 

and Stray. By"duida." 2d 
half 20 

858 True Magdalen, A. By Char- 

lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora '1 home " 20 

945 Trumpet-Major, The. Thomas 
Hardy 20 

846 Tumbledown Farm. By Alan 
Muir 10 

100 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. 

By Jules Verne 20 

75 Twenty Years After. By Alex- 
ander Dumas 20 

714 'Twixt Love and Duty. By 
Tighe Hopkins 20 

924 'Twixt Smile and Teai-. Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thome " 20 

349 Two Admirals, The. A Tale of 
the Sea. By J. Feuimore 

Cooper 20 

1073 Two Generations. By Count 

Lyof Tolstoi 10 

307 Two Kisses. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne" 10 

1018 Two Marriages. ByMissMul- 

ock 20 

784 Two Miss Flemings, The. By 
the author of " What's His Of- 
fence?" 20 

242 Two Orphans, The. By D'En- 
nery 10 

563 Two Sides of the Shield, The. 
By Charlotte M. Yonge 20 

311 Two Years Before the Mast. 
By R. H. Dana, Jr SO 

407 Tylney Hall. By Thomas Hood 20 

983 Uarda. By George Ebers 20 

862 Ugly Barrington. By " The 

Duchess." 10 

137 Uncle Jack. Bv Walter Besant 10 
541 Uncle Jack. By Walte* Besant 10 
930 Uncle Max. By Rosa Nouchette 

Carey. 1st half 20 

930 Uncle Max. By Rosa Nouchette 

Carey. 2d half 20 

152 Uncommercial Traveler, The. 

By Charles Dickens 20 

174 Under a Ban. By Mrs. Lodge 20 
1133 Under - Currents. By " The 

Duchess." 20 

460 Under a Shadow. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 20 



852 Under Five Lakes; or. The 
Cruise of the " Destroyer." 
By M. Quad .'.-.... M 

276 Under the Lilies and Roses. 
By Florence Marryat (Mrs. 
Francis Lean) 10 

110 Under the Red Flag. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 10 

1024 Under the Storm; or, Stead- 
fast's Charge. By Charlotte 

M. Yonge 20 

4 Under Two Flags'. By ''Ouida" 20 

340 Under Which King? ByComp- 
ton Reade 2© 

718 Unfairly Won. By Mrs. Power 
O'Donoghue 20 

634 Unforeseen, The. By Alice 
O'Hanlon 20 

508 Unholy Wish, The. By Mrs. 
Henry Wood 10 

735 Until the Day Breaks. By 
Emily Spender 90 

654 "Us." An Old-fashioned Story. 
By Mrs. Molesworth 10 

837 Vagabond Heroine, A. By Mrs. 
Annie Edwards 10 

482 Vagrant Wife, A. F. Warden 20 

691 Valentine Strange. By David 
Christie Murray 20 

189 Valerie's Fate. By Mrs. Alex- 
ander 10 

27 Vanity Fair. By William M. 

Thackeray. 1st half 20 

27 Vanity Fair. By William M. 

Thackeray. 2d half 20 

1068 Vendetta! or, The Story of 
jne Forgotten. By Marie 
Corelli 90 

426 Venus's Doves. By Ida Ash- 
worth Taylor 20 

891 Vera Nevill; or. Poor Wisdom's 
Chance. By Mrs. H. Lovett 

Cameron 20 

46 Very Hard Cash. By Charles 

Reade 20 

59 Vice Versa. By F. Anstey... ^ 

716 Victor and Vanquished. By 
Mary Cecil Hay 20 

583 Victory Deane. Cecil Griffith 30 

545 Vida's Story. Bv author of 
"Guilty Without Crime" 10 

734 Viva. Bv Mrs. Forrester 20 

793 Vivian Grey. By the Rt. Hon. 
Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of 
Beaconsfield. 1st half 20 

793 Vivian Grey. By the Rt. Hon. 
Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of 
Beaconsfield. 2d half 20 

835 Vivian the Beauty. By Mrs. 
Annie Kd wards 20 

283 Vivien's Atonement; or, The 
Sin of a Lifetime. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
" Dora Thorne " 10 

204 Vixen. By Miss M. E. Braddon » 

777 Voyages and Travels of Sir 
John Maundeville, Kt., The.. 10 



THE SEASIDE LIBRAEY— Pocket Edition. 



21 



884 Voyage to the Cape, A. By W. 
Clark Russell 20 

069 Waif of the " Cynthia," The. 

By Jules Verne 20 

9 Wanda, Countess von Szalras. 
By "Ouida" 20 

870 Wandering Jew, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Part 1 30 

270 Wandering Jew, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Part II 30 

6S1 Warden, The. By Anthony 
TroUope 10 

866 Water-Babios, The. A Fairy 
Tale for a Land-Baby. By the 
Rev. Charles Kingsley 10 

512 Waters of Hercules, The 20 

112 Waters of Marah, The. By 
John Hill 20 

359 Water- Witch, The. By J. Feni- 
more Cooper 20 

401 Waverley. By Sir Walter Scott 20 

195 " Way of the World, The." By 
David Christie Murray 20 

415 Ways of the Hour, The. By J. 
Fenimore Cooper 20 

344 " Wearing of the Green, The." 
By Basil 20 

943 Weavers and Weft ; or, " Love 
That Hath Us in His Net." 
By Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

961 Wee Wifie. By Rosa N. Carey 20 

312 Week in Killaraey, A. By "The 
Duchess" 10 

458 Week of Passion, A; or. The 
Dilemma of Mr. George Bar- 
ton the Younger. By Edward 

Jenkins 30 

79 Wedded and Parted. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"Dora Thorne" 10 

^8 Wedded Hands. By the author 
of " My Lady's Folly " 20 

400 Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish, The. 
By J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

637 What's His Offence? By author 
of " The Two Miss Flemings " 20 

723 What's Mine's Mine. George 
Macdonald 20 

679 Where Two Ways Meet. By 
Sarah Doudney 10 

220 Which Loved Him Best? By 
Charlotte M. Braeme 10 

236 Which Shall It Be? By Mrs. 

A 1(J5fQri(^pi* 20 

627 White Heather.'ByWm".' Black 20 
70 White Wings: A Yachting Ro- 
mance. By William Black . . 10 
835 White Witch, The. A Novel. . 20 
939 Why Not? Florence Marry at. 20 
849 Wicked Girl, A. By Mary Cecil 

Hay 20 

38 Widow Lerouge, The. By Emile 

Gaboriau 20 

76 Wife in Name Only ; or, A Bro- 
ken Heart. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of "Dora 
^horne" SO 



254 Wife's Secret, The, and Fair 
but False. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 10 

823 Willful Maid, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of " Dora 
Thorne " 20 

908 Willful Young Woman, A 20 

761 Will Weatherhelm. By Wm. 
H. G. Kingston 20 

373 Wing-and-Wing. By J. Feni- 
more Cooper 20 

163 Winifred Power, By Joyce Dar- 

rell 20 

472 Wise Women of Inverness, 

The. By Wm. Black 10 

134 Witching Hour, The, and Other 

Stories. By " The Duchess " . 10 
432 Witch's Head, The. By H. 

Rider Haggard 20 

873 With Cupid's Eyes. By Flor- 
ence Marryat. 20 

20 Within an Inch of His Life. 
By Emile Gaboriau 20 

358 Within the Clasp. By J. Ber- 
wick Harwood 30 

809 Witness My Hand. By the au- 
thor of "Lady Gwendolen's 
Tryst" 10 

957 Woodlanders, The. By Thomas 

Hardy 20 

98 Woman-Hater, A, By Charles 
Reade 20 

705 Woman I Loved, The, and the 
Woman Who Loved Me. By 
Isa Blagden. 10 

701 Woman in White, The. Wilkie 
Collins. Illustrated. 1st half 30 

701 Woman in White, The. Wilkie 
Collins. Illustrated. 2d half 20 

854 Woman's Error, A. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

"Dora Thorne" 20 

1087 Woman's Face, A. By F. War- 
den 30- 

322 Woman's Love-Story, A. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorne " 10 

459 Woman's Temptation, A. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme. (Large 
type edition) SO 

951 Woman's Temptation, A. By 

Charlotte M. Braeme, author 

of " Dora Thorne " 10 

295 Woman's War, A, By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
"Dora Thorne" 10 

952 Woman's War, A. By Charlotte 

M. Bi-aeme. (Large type edi- 
tion) 90 

900 Woman's Wit, By. By Mrs. Al- 
exander 20 

934 Wooed and Married. By Rosa 
Nouchette Carey. 1st half ... 20 

934 Wooed and Married. By Rosa 
Nouchette Carey. 8d half. ... 30 



32 THE SEASIDE LIBRARY— Pocket Edition. 



17 Wooing O't, The. By Mrs. Al- 

ail WorJd Between Them, The. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of " Dora Thorue." SO 

906 World Went Very Well Then, 
The. By Walter Besant 20 

968 Worth Winning. By Mrs. H. 
Lovett Cameron 20 

1048 Wreck of the " Grosvenor," 

The. By W. Clark Russell ... 20 
865 Written in Fire. By Florence 
Marryat 20 

380 Wyandotte ; or, The Hutted 
Knoll. ByJ. Fenimore Cooper 20 

434 Wyllard's Weird. By Miss M, 
E. Braddon 20 



1 Yolande. By Williain Black. 30 
1102 Young Mr. Barter's Repent- 
ance. By David Christie Mur- 
ray 10 

1053 Young Mrs. Jardine. By Miss 

Mulock 20 

709 Zenobia; or. The Fall of Pal- 
myra. By William Ware. 
1st half 20 

709 Zenobia ; or. The Fall of Pal- 
myra. By William Ware. 
2d half 29 

428 Z6ro: A Story of Monte-Carlo. 
By Mrs. Campbell-Praed 10 

522 Zig-Zag, the Clown; or, The 
Steel Gauntlets. By F, Du 
Boisgobey 20 

The foregoing works are for sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any 

address, postage free, on receipt of 12 cents for single numbers, and 25 cents 

for double numbers, by the publisher. Address 

GEOBGE MUNRO, Munro's Publishing House, 
(P. O. Box 3751.) 17 to 27 Vandewater Street, New York. 



THE NEW YORK 

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lists of all George Munro's puhUcations luill le maMed to 
any address on receipt of 10 cents. 



THE SEASIDE LIBRARY.-Pocket Edition. 

Al^rays UnicUanged and lJiial»ridgeel. 

WITH HANDSOME LITHOaRAPHED PAPER COVER. 



LATES'J' 
pnicK. 



NO. 

669 Pole on Whist 20 

432 THE WITCH'S HEAD. By 

H. Rider Hagrgrard 20 

1146 Bhoda Fleming. By George 

Meredith. 1st half 20 

1146 Rhoda Fleming. ' By George 

Meredith. 2d half 20 

1147 Knight-Errant. ByEdnaLyall. 

isthalf •• 20 

1147 Knight-Errant. ByEdnaLyall. 

2dhalf ■••„ 20 

1148 The Countess Eve. By J. H. 

Shorthouse ^ — ■ • 20 

1149 Donovan: A Modern Enghsh- 

man. By Edna Lyall. 1st half 20 

1149 Donovan : A Modern English- 

man. By Edna Lyall. 2d half 20 

1150 The Egoist. By George Mere- 

dith. 1st half 20 

1150 The Egoist. By George Mere- 

dith. 2d half 20 

1151 For Faith and Freedom. By 

Walter Besant. Isthalf 20 

1151 For Faith and Freedom. By 

Walter Besant. 2d half 20 

1152 From the Earth to the Moon 

By Jules Verne. Illustrated. 20 

1153 Round the Moon. By Jules 

Verne. Illustrated 20 

1154 A Judgment of God. By E. 

Werner 20 

1155 Lured Away; or. The Stoiy of 

a Wedding - Ring, and The 
Heiress of Arne. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme 20 

1156 A Witch of the Hills. By Flor- 

ence Warden 20 

1157 A Two Years' Vacation. Illus- 

trated. By Jules Verne 20 

1158 My Poor Dick. By J. S. Winter. 10 

1159 Mr. Fortescue. An Andean 

Romance. By Wm. Westall. 20 

1160 We Two. By Edna Lyall. 1st 

half 20 

1160 We Two. Edna Lyall. 2d half 20 

1161 Red Ryvington. By William 

Westall. 1st half 20 

1161 Red Ryvington. By William 

WestaU. 2d half.... 20 

1162 The Weaker Vessel. By David 

Christie Murray 20 



ISSUES: 

NO. PRICK. 

1163 The Phantom City. A Volcanic 

Romance. By Wm. Westall. 20 

1164 Rob Roy. By Sir Walter Scott, 

Bart. Isthalf 20 

1164 Rob Roy. By Sir Walter Scott, 

Bart. 2d half '. 20 

1165 The Sea-King. By Captain 

Marryat 20 

1166 The Betrothed : A Tale of the ' 

Crusaders, and the Chronicles 
of the Canongate. By Sir 
Walter Scott, Bart. 1st half. 

1166 The Betrothed : A Tale of the 

Crusaders, and the Chronicles 
of the Canongate. By Sir 
Walter Scott, Bart. 2d half. , 

1167 Captain Contanceau; or, The 

Volunteers of 1792. By Emile 
Gaboriau 20 

1168 The Flight to France; or, The 

Memoirs of a Dragoon. A 
Tale of the Day of Dumouriez. 
By Jules Verne 

1169 Commodore Junk. ByG. Man- 

ville Fenn 

1171 A Heart's Idol. By Charlotte 

M. Braeme 

1172 India and her Neighbors. By 

W. P. Andrew 20 

1173 Won by Waiting. By Edna 
Lyall 20 

1174 The Polish Princess. By 1. 1. 

Kraszewski 20 

1175 A Tale of an Old Castle. By 

W. Heimburg 20 

1176 Guilderoy. By "Ouida" 20 

1177 A Dangerous Cat's-paw. By 

David Christie Murray and 
Henrv Murray : 20 

1178 St. Cuthbert's Tower. By Flor- 

ence Warden 20 

1179 Beauty's Marriage; or, "What 

Some Have Found so Sweet." 
By Charlotte M. Braeme 10 

1180 The Two Chiefs of Dunboy ; or, 

An Irish Romance of the Last 
Century 20 

1181 The Fairy of the Alps, By E. 

Werner 20 

1183 Jack of Hearts. A Story of 
Bohemia. By H. T. Johnson. 20 



20 



20 



20 
20 
20 



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The foregoing works, contained in The Sbasidb Library, Pocket Edition, 
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MUNRO'S PUBLICATIONS. 

Old Sleutli Library. 

A Series of the Most Thrilling Detective Stories Ever Published! 



ISSUED QUARTERIiV. 



1 Old SVeuth, the DetocMve 10c 

_. _- - . _ j^^ 

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3 Old Sleuth's Triumph (1st half) 

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4 Under a Million Disguises (1st 

Half r. 10c 

4 Under a Million Disguises (2d 

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5 Night Scenes in New York 10c 

6 Old Electricity, the Lightning 

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8 Red-Light Will, the River De- 

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8 Red-Light Will, the River De- 

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9 Iron Burgess, the Government 

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10 The Brigands of New York (1st 

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11 Tracked by a Ventriloquist. . . . 10c 
18 The Twin Shadowers lOc 

13 The French Detective 10c 

14 Billy Wayne, the St. Louis De- 

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17 Old Sleuth in Harness Again. . . 10c 

18 The Ladv Detective 10c 

19 The Yankee Detective 10c 

20 The Fastest Boy in New York. . 10c 

21 Black Raven, the Georgia De- 

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29 Night-hawk, the Mounted De- 
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24 The Mysteries and Miseries of 

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2: Old Terrible 10c 

96 The Smugglers of New York Bay 10c 
ST Manfred, the Magic Trick De- 
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iiS Mura, the Western Lady De- 
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29 Mons. Armand ; or. The EYench 

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30 Lady Kate, the Dashing Female 
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81 Hamad, the Detective 10« 

82 The Giant Detective in France 

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33 The American Detective in 

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34 The Dutch Detective 10c 

35 Old Puritan, the Old-Time Yan- 

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35 Old Puritan, the Old-Time Yan- 

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36 Manfred's Quest; or. The Mys- 

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87 Tom Thumb; or. The Wonderful 

Bov Detective (1st half) 10c 

37 Tom Thumb; or. The Wonderful 

Boy Detective (2d half) 10c 

38 Old Ironsides Abroad (1st half). 10c 

38 Old Ironsides Abroad (2d half). 10c 

39 Little Black Tom ; or. The Ad- 

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Darky (1st half) 10c 

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40 Old Ironsides Among the Cow- 

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41 Black Tom in Search of a Fa- 

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A COMPLETE LIST OF 

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No. J2>^. IN THE GOLDEN DAYS. Price 

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